


Prose and Cons

by sunlitangles



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Background Character Death, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Its all very gay, M/M, Mandatory ball room scene, Mutual Pining, Past Child Abuse, Period-Typical Homophobia, Victorian Era AU, author!jesper, author!wylan, english tutor!jesper, just a bunch of gay authors who don't get as much sleep as they should, seriously who do you think I am if i don't write a ballroom scene in a Victorian Era au, the grishaverse - Freeform, violence (no explicit descriptions)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26316439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlitangles/pseuds/sunlitangles
Summary: When his father kicks him out of America in disgrace, Wylan leaves for London looking for opportunity. He loves telling stories and sharing knowledge, so when the publishing company Crows Publishing accepts his application as a writer, he is overjoyed. There’s only one problem- Wylan can’t physically write. The solution to this stumbles into his life as Jesper Fahey, the anonymous author of popular war-time novels and coworker. They quickly enter a co-writer relationship, but maybe Wylan wants it to be more. The pair starts to get closer, but it isn’t long before Wylan gets caught up in the secret goings of the Crows Publishing company.
Relationships: Inej Ghafa/Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey & Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey & Kuwei Yul-Bo, Jesper Fahey & Leoni Hilli, Jesper Fahey & Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker & Jesper Fahey, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa, Leoni Hilli/Adrik Zhabin, Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky, Tamar Kir-Bataar/Nadia Zhabin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12
Collections: Grishaverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter One: Wylan Van Eck

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for the 2020 Grishaverse Big Bang! It was such a pleasure participating in this event. Go support my amazing artists on tumblr: dingy-doodles, ninaaswaffles, artzy-lia-art, and protec-kuwei-yul-bo! Special thank you to my beta @jdobrski and my sensitivity readers @niecity, @nekonamicosplay, and @wybiegowrity on tumblr.

“Mister Van Eck, I simply must inform you that you are not qualified for this job,” said the man. Wylan sighed and glared at the stout man sitting before him.  
“Mr. Rollins, I really need this job. I don’t have anywhere to go, and I-” Wylan started but was quickly cut off.  
“Van Eck, I couldn’t give a damn. Now, please see yourself out of my office,” Mr. Rollins said, spit flying out of his mouth. He didn’t give Wylan another look, proceeding to make a ‘shooing’ gesture and turned back to his records. Wylan grimaced and wiped his face with his sleeve. 

Wylan stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in his tweed blazer. He grabbed the strap of his leather bag as Mr. Rollins lit a cigar. The beady gaze of the older man followed Wylan out of the office, and as Wylan stepped outside into the cool autumn breeze, the noisy bustle of London streets overwhelmed him. Wylan resisted the urge to plug his ears, which were not accustomed to the din. The countryside was never this loud. He missed the scent of the rolling fields, the clean autumn breezes, and the subtle hints of life on the farms nearby. He sighed disdainfully and stepped into the chaotic streets of London. 

The intricately built buildings arched high above Wylan, seemingly watching his every move. What am I supposed to do now? His bag thumped against his side as he strolled the uneven cobblestone, dodging other pedestrians in long coats and large skirts. He was alone in this damn city with no steady source of income. If only my dad could see me now, Wylan thought, a frown tugging the corners of his mouth. He walked down Fleet Street, a sour expression stuck on his pale face. He strolled past the brightly lit shops of 36th street, the warm smells of the bakery wafting towards him. He stopped in front of the shop, observing the buttery pastries and golden rolls in the shop window. The soft light emanating from the bakery illuminated workers bustling around inside, putting more dough in the oven and piping thick jam on top of fluffy cakes. His mouth watered at the sight of flakey scones and he longed to taste at least one warm confectionery but tore himself away from the shop, turning back to the crowded streets. He certainly didn’t have the money for those types of luxuries yet. 

He continued down the street, avoiding the large skirt of a beautiful fair-skinned brunette who strutted as if she owned the town. Her red dress flaunted her generous, soft body. She was fairly plump, and Wylan could tell her corset was laced far larger than customary. He stared as she bounced down the street, entering the bakery with a wide grin on her face. The other patrons stared after her, their expressions a mix of disgust and confusion. Wylan grinned to himself. 

Loose pebbles skittered down the path as Wylan continued to make his way down to the run-down hotel that he called home for the time being. He’d managed to make enough money doing odd jobs between university classes to keep himself out of the streets, but if Wylan didn’t find steady work soon, he’d surely be down on his luck. He hurried down the cobblestone streets until he reached the hotel. The front needed a new paint job and windows were in a serious need of cleaning, but the rooms were in good enough condition. He stepped inside the lobby, which was empty save for a Suli family who waited on the moth-eaten couch and a tall, well-dressed man speaking quietly with the concierge. Trudging up the stairs, Wylan searched for his room number, turning right and then forward. He slid his key into the lock, taking off his jacket as he stepped into his hotel room. 

He examined his belongings, anxiously making sure nothing was missing. Earlier in the week, he had experienced a run-in with a maid who had taken a liking to rifle through his belongings, looking through his music notebooks and pockets for spare change. He sighed in relief as he realized none of his belongings were swiped.  
Wylan could hear horses trotting along the street below him, barkers shouting at passerby and the mumble of conversations over watered-down tea and lumpy rice pudding. He still couldn’t believe he was in London. It felt a lot bigger, even though it was barely big enough to fit a fraction of America. He sat down at the tiny desk in the corner of the room, lit by the setting sun. Sunlight streamed through the dusty window, illuminating his fiery copper-red hair. Setting his head in his hands, he rubbed his temples, willing the stress of the day to disappear. 

He had no idea how he was going to sustain himself for much longer. The funds that his dad had sent him off with were running low, and it would only be a few more weeks until he would be kicked to the streets with only the clothes off his back and a university scholarship, forced to feed himself and fend off the rats and pests that lurked in the dark alleys. According to his calculations, he would be able to afford his room for three weeks if he cut back on his food budget and skipped meals. He groaned as he pushed himself out of the creaky wood chair, the moth-eaten upholstered cushion leaving dust on his nice black pants. Brushing himself off, he collected his school work from his leather bag. Thick leather-bound books and spare pieces of paper stared up at mockingly, the neat font gleaming under the setting sun. Rubbing his eyes, Wylan attempted to make out the words written on the crisp pieces of parchment but gave up after a few tedious moments.

Mind still preoccupied, Wylan grabbed his flute. The cool metal was familiar to his smooth hands, the brass instantly calming his nerves. Grabbing a few sets of sheet music that he had already memorized, he brought his flute to his mouth and began to play.

As the stars twinkled in the midnight blue sky outside his window, Wylan fought to ignore the rumble of his stomach. He had played for hours, taking breaks to try to read the work he was assigned but he quickly gave up; the frustration consumed him as simple words mocked him. He craved a flakey pastry from the bakery he’d passed earlier, but the almost non-existent weight of the money in his pocket reminded him that indulging in such luxuries would not suit him well. He fiddled with the cuff of his shirt, wondering if he could afford to buy potatoes at the grocer. Deciding to go food shopping tomorrow, Wylan got himself ready for bed, humming under his breath as the crows chirped in the distance. 

***  
The streets of London were never quiet at night, Wylan had soon realized after his first night at the hotel. The drunken steps of men stumbling out of bars and their loud, slurred voices filled the streets night after night near the gambling halls and pubs while the sound of horses trotting through the cobblestone alleys mixed with quiet sighs of private theatricals. Tonight, Wylan caught wind of a few conversations, most of them noisy neighbors complaining about the prices of tea and whatever was in the paper that morning. Curling up on the window sill, he felt the cool London air blow into his room. 

“Brekker said he would be here by now,” mumbled a gruff voice. The voice was coming from a stocky man, leaning against a building with a few companions by his side. The man to his right drawled in a kaelish accent, “Damn that kid. I can’t stand him.”  
“Did you hear what happened to Thomas today?” a blond man asked, rolling his neck.  
Fiddling with the pistols at his hips, a Zemini man replied, “Did Brekker con him?”  
The blond man nodded and replied, “Got ‘em good, too. I heard he got all of Thomas’ inheritance. Didn’t even see it coming.” The group of men continued to converse, loudly complaining about “Brekker”. 

Wylan tuned out the rest of the conversation, opting to watch the early morning carriages drive across the roads. He watched rats scour the streets below, rotten apple cores littering the darkest corners of the alleyway. A young couple took a stroll along the other side of the street, speaking to each other in earnest. Wylan wondered what that was like. To have someone to tell everything to. Try as he might, Wylan’s father never could seem to get Wylan interested in the town girls. He just didn’t fancy any old girl, right? That had to have been the explanation for his blunt taste in women. They were just so peculiar. He often felt as if he never really liked any of them.

“Damn Brekker, can’t seem to keep his nose outta people’s business,” complained the man with the kaelish accent, snapping Wylan out of his daydreaming, “Do you reckon  
The Dregs will write something about Thomas?” Wylan knew that The Dregs was a popular newspaper in London, published by Crows Publishing.  
The Zemini man snorted and replied, “It’s a newspaper and publishing company.”  
“So? They can’t possibly know everything.”  
“You would be surprised, and I don’t read their shit. You’re the one reading penny bloods from Crows Publishing.” 

Wylan knew about the penny bloods that were taking the country up by a storm. His neighbors often gossiped about them with their friends and family, and his classmates read them at school. They formed clubs where they would read them aloud and catch up on the latest episode. Wylan joined a few of those clubs, enjoying the way the writing sounded and taking note of the masterful ways they were written. The most popular penny bloods were written by a man named Kit Young starring a plot of war- novels and by the sounds of it, they were almost the most popular penny bloods in London, second only to a series of detective penny bloods published by the Dime Lions publishing company. Wylan heard that they told tales of crime and detection in America, but he didn’t find the descriptions as intriguing as the bloods written by Kit Young. Wylan participated in one of the clubs for Mr. Young’s stories and he latched on to every one of his words, but he had to stop going to the clubs as he needed to find work more than participate in leisure. He laughed bitterly as he thought about the war bloods and continued to ponder the on-goings of Crows Publishing. 

Wylan had dared to hope that he could potentially be hired at the publishing company. He imagined conversing with his coworkers, and hopefully friends, about the latest stories and articles looking to be published. He imagined laughter spilling out of him and his coworkers and them sharing a mutual love for stories, him hopefully writing successful penny bloods that took the country by a storm. He wondered what he would do if he met Kit Young, and how he would praise the man for writing the stories that kept almost all of London intrigued. He let his imagination roam free until the sun rose over the gray city. 

***

Though he was drowsy from his lack of sleep, Wylan tried to pay attention to the lesson his English professor was droning on about. He had yet to read the book assigned and he tried to understand what Professor Williams was saying about the metaphors in the book, but the encounter he witnessed from last night had been playing on repeat. The name “Crows Publishing” stuck out to him and kept nagging in the back of his mind. Wylan got chills down his spine each time he thought about how “Brekker” worked the gang and how disturbingly good he was at getting what he wanted. Doodling on the piece of paper in front of him, Wylan continued to ponder the mystery of Crows Publishing. Professor Williams announced that he would be calling on students, effectively breaking Wylan out of his stupor. Wylan silently prayed that he wouldn’t be called on as his professor scanned the room for participants. Though of course, Professor Williams decided it would be the perfect time to call on him. 

Locking eyes with Wylan, his professor said, “Mr. Van Eck, what did you think about the relationship between Victor and his monster?”  
Wylan gulped nervously, the room feeling awfully hot and stuffy. “I found their relationship, uh, quite intriguing.”  
Professor Williams raised his eyebrow in expectation, “Anything else, Mr. Van Eck?”  
“Uh, I thought that Victor treated the monster unfairly and that maybe the author was commenting on the times,” Wylan said, balling his hands into fists. He thanked the lord that Mary Shelley’s work was popular enough for him to have known the plot. His breathing began to get shallow, and he focused on simply breathing in and out to avoid getting too worked up.

Professor Williams sighed, nodded, and called on another student. Wylan felt the eyes of his classmates burning holes into the back of his head. Wylan shifted uncomfortably, digging his fingernails into his sweaty palms. He focused intently on the paper in front of him, fighting the blush creeping up his neck and heating his ears. He silently wished for the floor to open up and devour him; anything would be better than sitting here embarrassed. 

As the class ended and students were packing up their belongings, Wylan felt a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him from exiting the classroom.  
“Van Eck. Hold on,” said Professor Williams. A few moments after all the students had sifted through the door, he leaned against his oak desk, crossing his ankles and watching Wylan intently. Wylan gulped and settled his hands on the strap of his leather bag. “You wanted to see me, Professor?” Wylan said, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. “In fact, yes, Mr. Van Eck. Your performance in my class has been… less than satisfactory. I am quite aware of your, ahem,” Professor Williams cleared his throat, “difficulties with reading and writing, and I would like to help you.” Wylan looked towards the ground, “I’m sorry, Professor.” “I have a tutor willing to help you. I hope you accept this offer, as I truly think it would help you.” Wylan nodded, “I accept. Thanks.” Professor Williams smiled slightly. “Let me know when you’re available and I will let your tutor know. Don’t worry about the finances, I have it handled.” Wylan walked out the classroom, cheeks hot. His professor was paying for his tutoring sessions, and Wylan couldn’t help feeling useless. He wanted to think that the tutor could help him, but he was too overwhelmed by the fact that another human being had to know about his inability to read and write. Wylan silently decided to somehow find a way to pay his professor back; his search for a job becoming his top priority. 

***

Professor Williams had found Wylan a tutor, all right. He was a 19-year-old boy with hints of patchy peach fuzz along his upper lip. His blonde hair was gelled back and he wrote a purple bowtie, rather than the standard university’s blue.  
Wylan sat down at the library table his tutor, Joost, had found. Joost pulled out an intimidating stack of books and Wylan eyed the stack nervously.  
“I think we should start with the book Professor Williams assigned to us. Do you have a copy?” Joost asked with a pretentious air in his voice. Wylan smiled, narrowing his eyes. He already disliked Joost. 

“I do. It’s required, you know,” he said, the fake smile slathered on his face. If his jab affected Joost in any way, he didn’t show it. Joost eyed Wylan up and down, waiting for him to pull out his book. Wylan gritted his teeth and grabbed it out of his bag.  
Joost smiled and opened his heavily- dog eared copy. “Let’s start with chapter one. Do you know what happens?”  
Wylan bit his tongue to stop himself from lashing out at the blonde boy. “I don’t remember.”  
Joost cleared his throat arrogantly. “Then open your book to chapter one.”  
Wylan groaned internally as he began his slow descent into hell. He tried to read the words printed on the smooth sheets of paper, attempting to keep up with Joost’s monotone droning. After ‘reading’ the first chapter, Joost looked at Wylan expectantly.  
“Now, can you finally tell me what happens in this chapter?” Joost looked at Wylan intently, and Wylan dropped his head into his hands, pulling on the strands of his hair. This was clearly not going to work. 

***  
No matter how well-intending Joost was, he was not the tutor for Wylan. Wylan endured two grueling weeks of his pretentious personality and he couldn’t stand how Joost treated him like the scum under his shoe. Wylan sagged in his seat, pretending to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as Professor Williams directed them to a certain part of the book. He glanced at the pages, scanning the words printed on the cream pages. As the rest of the class went on, Wylan avoided eye-contact with Professor Williams and Joost. He couldn’t stand the way Joost kept glancing at him. Wylan silently hoped that the class would be dismissed quickly. 

Professor Williams held Wylan back at the end of class, grabbing his shoulder as he tried walking out of the door.  
“I take that tutoring with Mr. Van Poel didn’t go well,” his professor said after the students cleared out of the room.  
Wylan internally rolled his eyes, heat crawling up the back of his neck, “Joost was… fine.”  
Professor Williams pursed his lips. “I’ll find you another tutor, Wylan.”  
Wylan nodded, embarrassed of his additional request, and quickly thanked him and sprinted out of the room. As he rushed down the hallway, he felt his spirits deflate. Wylan couldn’t believe he’d already needed a new tutor. He already felt bad enough that his professor was paying for it, and now he’d complained about his old one? In times like these, he thought that maybe it was a good thing he could no longer disgrace the family name. 

***

The library he’d agreed to meet up at was on campus, and it stretched a sizable distance. It had a big, arching front doorway and, once inside, beautiful oak shelves lining up the tall ceilings all the way to the back. Wylan held down a shaky breath thinking about the words lining those pages, words that he couldn’t read. It was almost suffocating.  
There were about fifteen people spread around the library’s common area, including a plump, whiskery little man sitting at the front desk. Wylan shuffled his way over.  
“Hi, sorry, I’m looking for a- um,” he glanced at the slip with the address and his tutor’s name, a name that he already memorized but he looked at the slip nonetheless, “Jesper Fahey?”  
“Always great to meet a fan,” called a rich, deep voice behind Wylan. He spun on his heel, coming face to face with a tall man with a rich-umber complexion. The confident expression on his handsome face made Wylan’s heartbeat quicken.  
“Hi, I’m uh- Wylan Eck Van. Uh- sorry, Wylan Van Eck. I’m assuming you’re Jesper Fahey?” Wylan said, stumbling over his words.  
“That’s my name,” the stranger said, raising his eyebrows in amusement, “And nice to meet you, Wylan.” Wylan reached his hand out for a handshake, but Jesper started down the hallway, looking for a table to sit at. The whiskery man stared at Jesper and went back to reading, smoking his cigarette when Wylan turned back to him.  
“Uh- wait up!” Wylan called, dashing to catch up with Jesper.  
Finding an unoccupied desk in the middle of the library, Jesper sat down, pulling out various books from his worn messenger bag. Wylan sat down, mimicking Jesper’s actions.  
“So…” Wylan started, glancing around the musty library, “What subject should we start with today?” Jesper looked up from his bag, pulling a textbook out.  
“I was thinking we could do English. Professor Williams told me you were struggling with the reading assignment?” Jesper confirmed, and Wylan glanced down at his hands, heat flushing his cheeks.  
Clearing his throat, Wylan replied, “Yeah. Something like that.”  
Jesper gave him a wide smile and said, “It’s fine, Mr. Van Eck. So, how far are you into the book?”  
“I haven’t- um, I haven’t started it,” Wylan clenched his fists tight, “I can’t read… it. I can’t read.” Jesper’s playful smile dropped just enough for Wylan to feel embarrassment flood over him.  
“Oh,” Jesper simply said, scrunching his eyebrows, “Well, we can either read it together or I could give you a brief summary. Williams said that we should be at chapter four by now so I highly recommend the summary.” Jesper winked.  
Wylan took a deep breath and felt the tension leave his body. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter Two: Wylan Van Eck

The past few tutoring sessions with Jesper had gone extremely well. At the first lesson, Jesper had helped Wylan get caught up and they were currently doing the work together. 

“Good day, Wylan!” Jesper called, jogging to meet up with him in the hallway. Wylan turned to the sound of his name, smiling as he saw Jesper. The other students moved around them, some glancing back at the pair of them.  
“Hi Jesper, how are you doing?” Wylan said as Jesper caught up to him, ignoring the gazes of people watching them.  
“I thought we could do another tutoring session today, are you free?” Jesper said, slowing his pace.  
“Of course,” Wylan said, “In our usual spot?”  
“Yes. Don’t be late.” With a smile, Jesper walked past Wylan towards his next class. 

Wylan caught the gaze of someone leering at him as he watched Jesper disappear between the flood of students, and he blushed a bright red, keeping his head down as he increased the pace of his walking. 

***

Wylan met up with Jesper in their usual spot at the library. Jesper lounged in his chair eating an apple while waiting for Wylan.  
“Wylan!” Jesper called, sitting up in his chair. Wylan grinned at Jesper’s enthusiasm.  
“What are we starting with today?” Wylan asked, setting his bag on the table.  
“How about we continue writing the assignment we started last session.” Jesper was flipping through their newly assigned reading book while talking, and Wylan couldn’t help but grin at his energy. The suddenness of this session had caught him off guard, and on his way to the library, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Wasn’t Jesper getting paid to do this? Why didn’t he wait until their next meeting, when he would get paid? His mind whirled.  
“Wylan? Earth to Wylan,” Jesper waved his hand in front of the other boy’s face, snapping him out of his train of thought.  
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, that sounds good,” he said, resting his chin on his hand, absentminded while staring at Jesper’s striking features. His jawline was defined, and his broad nose balanced his handsome features perfectly. 

Well into their tutoring session, Wylan glanced up at Jesper from his textbook and once again his mind was plagued with questions about Jesper. They met eyes and Wylan felt his heart catch in his throat. Had his eyes always been that color of gray?  
“Anything you need to tell me, Van Eck?” Jesper smirked.  
“Oh- uh, I was just wondering if you had any job besides tutoring,” Wylan said, rubbing his hand across his knuckles.  
Jesper chuckled and replied, “I sure do have other jobs. My boss works me so hard, you’d think I’d be rich by now. That boy never stops hustling.” Wylan noticed how Jesper talked about his boss; longing appeared in his gray eyes, and his smirk became less pronounced. In fact, it even hinted at a smile. Something lurched inside of his stomach, but he quickly pushed it down.  
“That sounds horrid. Your boss must be awful!”  
Jesper laughed, smiling widely, “Kaz Brekker is a handsome devil.” Wylan’s eyes widened at the mention of ‘Brekker’s’ name.  
“You work for Kaz Brekker?” Wylan said incredulously, his eyes wide as saucers.  
Jesper glanced over at Wylan, his eyebrow lifted. “Why, yes. He’s the boss of Crows Publishing.” Wylan’s mind churned as he processed the information. Jesper worked for Kaz Brekker? The same man who was a successful crime boss, but also owned a publishing company? Wylan’s mind began to sort through the information that he had on Kaz Brekker. It was said he could work his way out of any situation and had information on everyone who arrived in London. Hell, he probably had information on people outside of London. Wylan chose his next words carefully.  
“What’s it like, working for him?”  
Jesper considered for a moment, tapping his foot against the floor. “It’s rough at times, but we get the job done. Plus, lots of the people working there aren’t half bad, including Kaz. His reputation might throw you off, but he’s… softer than he looks,” Jesper said with a smile, looking down at the textbook.  
“What do you do?”  
Jesper looked surprised, his foot stilling under the table. “What do you mean?”  
“Like, what jobs do you do at Crows publishing?”  
“I write, sometimes. I do a lot of editing,” Jesper paused tapping his fingers on the table, “And I do some work for Kaz when he asks, I’m kind of his right-hand man.” Jesper winked and flipped through the book he left on the table.  
Wylan rubbed his hands over his knuckles, a silence creeping between them.  
“What books do you write?”  
Jesper looked up, seemingly surprised that Wylan took such an interest in his work, but he quickly replaced his surprise with a small smile. “I write penny bloods, but I haven’t written anything new lately.”  
“That’s amazing, Jesper.” Wylan sighed, thinking about his own untold stories. Stories he had wanted to write since he was a little boy playing in the fields of his family’s estate.  
“What’s with the long face?” Jesper asked softly, meeting Wylan’s gaze, and sending a surge of nerves into Wylan’s stomach.  
“I- no, it’s stupid.”  
“Wylan, I’m sure it’s not stupid,” Jesper said kindly, his smoke-gray eyes searching the ocean of Wylan’s blue eyes.  
“I want to write,” Wylan said, “But I can’t. I have so many stories in my mind without a place for them to go. I can’t write because of this.” Wylan gestured from himself to the papers in front of him frantically, hating that he couldn’t pursue his passion. Jesper cocked his head, considering something.  
“I could… help you,” he said, eyes eager, getting more excited by the idea, “you could tell me what to write and I could write it for you!”  
Wylan thought about Jesper’s offer for a second. Jesper was giving Wylan the opportunity that he always wanted, Jesper was giving him a way to write. Wylan exhaled quickly, his excitement rushing through his body.  
“Honestly? I don’t know how I could repay you.”  
Jesper’s eyes twinkled. “Repay me by gracing me with your presence. Are you interested, sunshine?”

Jesper had scheduled to take Wylan to Crows Publishing with him Friday afternoon and Wylan could barely contain his excitement. He had tried to imagine what Crows Publishing and what the infamous Kaz Brekker would be like. Wylan silently hoped that Kaz would hire him on the spot, but he didn’t entertain that idea for too long. Instead, he shoved his fantasy deep down and focused on being grateful for getting the opportunity to see the headquarters of Crows Publishing and an interview with Kaz Brekker. 

***  
As Wylan walked down to the bakery Jesper told him to meet at, his mind raced. He had worn his best clothes and had his leather bag slung across his shoulder, filled with his sketchbook, sheets of music, and his flute. Wylan was still unsure of why he brought his flute. Maybe he was hoping to convince Kaz that he could write music, or at least show Kaz that he had some skill. Wylan stopped in front of the bakery, longingly looking at the buttery rolls and sweet cakes.

He lounged near the entrance, watching the hustle of the streets. Throngs of people passed, chatting about the latest fashions, work, and other mundane nonsense that Wylan had no care for. As he watched, he found himself watching a girl who flitted around the streets with hurried energy. She wore a deep-red dress with a bell-shaped skirt adorned with layers of flounces. Her dress also featured wide sleeves and a deep V neckline, but her bust was covered with a white chemisette, which was covered with frills. Her crimson bonnet hid her deep brown hair, but Wylan still felt as if he recognized her. He slowly realized she was the girl who had bounded into the bakery with a large smile on her face just weeks before. She walked as if she owned the town when he saw her last, but now she was frantically looking for someone. Perhaps a lover or a child she lost in the crowd? Wylan was deep in his thoughts and he didn’t realize the tall Zemini man standing next to him with a curious expression on his face. 

“Van Eck.” said a voice from someone next to Wylan. Wylan snapped out of his thoughts, surprise written on his face.  
“Oh, dear me, hello Jesper!” Wylan said hurriedly. Wylan turned to see Jesper leaning against the building. Jesper wore a handsome corduroy vest with a white shirt underneath and a simple navy cravat. His overcoat was slung lazily in the crook of his arm, complementing his relaxed demeanor.  
“Are you ready to get going, Van Eck? Or are we going to keep putting on a show?” Jesper asked.  
Wylan nodded and waited for Jesper to lead him down the street towards Crows Publishing. Jesper began to step forward, but turned as the girl in red approached them. Wylan rubbed his nose, stepping aside so the two could speak.  
“Hello Jesper,” she said, slightly out of breath.  
“Good day, isn’t it Nina?” Jesper replied with a slight smile. “Wylan, this is Nina Zenik.” The girl, Nina, let out a ‘huff’ and crossed her arms.  
“Yes, yes, delightful indeed. Oh, but have you heard the latest gossip?” Nina proclaimed. Jesper bit his lip and considered something for a moment.  
“The one about our friend Kaz Brekker, Mr. Lantsov’s current romantic affair, or something new?” Jesper asked, his eyebrow quirked. Nina laughed and adjusted her bonnet.  
“It’s some long awaited new information about Nikolai. You’ll find this quite interesting, I believe. Might we step inside?” She asked. Jesper nodded, pushing the door of the bakery open for her and Wylan.

“Nina, I don’t believe you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Van Eck.” Jesper gestured to Wylan, bringing the girl’s eyes away from the cakes and pastries displayed in the glass case at the front of the store.  
“No, I haven’t! It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Van Eck!”  
“Wylan is fine,” Wylan said, shaking her hand. “It’s my pleasure.”  
“Right, well, I need to eat something before I can even begin to speak about the latest gossip.”

The three of them sat in a booth in the back of the store, sipping cups of tea that Nina wouldn’t let Wylan pay for, no matter how much he insisted.  
“Now, Nina, we’d better be off soon, so please do share this gossip with us,” Jesper said, smiling quaintly.  
“Have you heard? Zoya and Nikolai have been caught with a hot new office-romance. Inej caught them, as I’ve heard, but she refuses to give any details. I personally think that they were caught in a hot scandalous position, but Genya doesn't want to believe it. I don’t think she wants to think about the two of them defacing her precious workspace.  
Kaz is absolutely terrified but he won't say anything. Zoya, though, has been strutting around the office as usual. I truly admire her confidence.”  
“Well that’s truly riveting.”  
“Yes! Though I have been hearing, too, that there’s so much praise for your work lately it’s almost unbelievable. Really Jesper, your penny bloods are making us at least half our pay by now. Kaz is so thrilled, I actually think there’s a chance at him taking a break from all that work. He might even give us vacation days,” Nina’s hands flew as she talked, grinning. Jesper’s eyes lit up at the mention of Kaz.  
“Kaz really thinks so?” He asked.  
“Why, yes! Jesper, I’ve never met a more capable writer than you. You’ve made the boss man very proud, I’m sure.” Jesper looked at Wylan, joy on his face.  
“Well, sunshine, let’s go see for ourselves, why don’t we?”

Jesper and Wylan waited outside the bakery for Nina, who had stepped in the back to go visit with one of the employees. Wylan could see Jesper shaking from excitement. Whoever Kaz Brekker was, Jesper surely held him in high regard. He wanted to congratulate Jesper, at least, but he could also see that Jesper’s affection for Kaz ran deep; far deeper than he expected. He just wanted to ask him how he was feeling.  
“Jesper, I-”  
“Right, off we go!” Nina cut Wylan off as she stepped out of the shop, lipstick smudged. She fixed her bonnet as she led the way to Crow’s Publishing, Wylan’s unfinished sentence left hanging above their heads.

***

The building to Crows Publishing was made from brown bricks and wooden planks. Two large windows flanked the door. Wylan peered through the windows and observed the shelves and stacks of newspapers, people bustling around inside. Jesper stepped through the front door and greeted the girl behind the counter with a cheerful wave. She had a shock of red hair tied back in a low bun and she wore a red dress with long, sweeping sleeves and white undersleeves that puffed and closed at her wrists with a blue sash around her waist and a white collar. Wylan noted that her dress was made of a heavier, more luxurious fabric that someone in the lower class wouldn’t be able to afford. The girl waved back with a smile on her face, her golden eyes lighting up.

“Good day, Genya!” Jesper and Nina chimed together.  
“Nice to see you all. Who did you bring in today, Jesper?” Genya asked, glancing towards Wylan, “Is he the boy you were talking about earlier?”  
“This is Wylan Van Eck, Wylan, this is Genya Safin,” Jesper said, gesturing towards Wylan, “and yes, this is the boy I was talking about.” Genya’s lips quirked into a sly smile. Wylan felt heat crawling up the back of his neck at her gaze.  
“Hello Wylan, I love your vest. It brings out your hair,” Genya said, poking around his vest. Wylan glanced down at his dark green vest, embroidered with matching green thread.  
“Uh, thank you?” Wylan said.  
“Of course sweetie, but slight adjustments to your waistcoat and a pocket watch will pull your outfit together.”  
“Thanks for the tips.”  
“You have really nice bone structure too, and lovely eyes,” she said examining his face, although she said it more to herself than to him. “Jesper, where did you find such a pretty boy?” Wylan flushed a bright red.  
“Genya, don’t you know that all the pretty boys are at the library? Didn’t you find David there?” Jesper said, leaning against the counter.  
“Oh no, I found him roaming the streets,” She said with a twinkling laugh.  
“That’s one romantic way to find your husband,” Jesper said, raising his eyebrows.  
“Husband?” Wylan asked, glancing between him.  
“David Kostyk, a genius inventor dumbass, and the love of my life,” Genya reaffirmed, flashing her wedding ring towards him. It was made of intricate gold metal-work swirls with a bright blue, square topaz in the center. Wylan, Jesper, and Nina ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ as she fanned herself with her hand.  
“You’re all too flattering,” she said with a radiant smile.  
“Though, you better get back behind the counter. Zoya will throw a fit if she hears you left your post,” Genya said, turning to Nina. Nina shifted her weight.  
“Thanks for covering for me, Genya,” Nina said smiling, “And Zoya doesn’t have to know about my… adventure outside of the office, does she?” Genya winked.  
“Don’t worry about it, Zenik. Zoya won’t hear a peep from me.” Genya put a hand on Nina’s shoulder and walked through the doorway behind the counter, her skirts swishing after her. She looked back and said, “It was nice meeting the pretty boy who captured your attention, Jesper.” Genya blew a kiss and walked up the stairs in the hallway. Nina turned towards Wylan.  
“Nice meeting you, Wylan!” Nina exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Pulling away, Nina placed a kiss on his cheek. “And you better bring him around more often, Jesper,” she added with a wink. Heat flushed both Jesper and Wylan’s faces.  
“Only if he doesn’t get scared away by Kaz first,” Jesper said with a hearty chuckle.  
“Ah, both of you best be going up to Kaz’s office. He gets grumpy when people are late,” Nina said, rolling her eyes when she mentioned Kaz.  
“Thank you for the reminder, Nina. I don’t want old man Brekker to yell at us,” Jesper said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Jesper turned towards Wylan and held out his hand, palm up.  
“Come on Van Eck, I have a tour for you.” Wylan grabbed Jesper’s hand, ignoring the sparks of electricity he felt as he continued to clutch Jesper’s hand. Jesper led him towards the door that Genya exited through, saying another goodbye to Nina. 

Jesper showed him the rooms that held more copies of the newspaper, penny bloods, and other short stories that they published. Wylan let go of Jesper’s hand, and fingered the smooth pieces of parchment, marveling at the amount of literature in the room. For once, he didn’t feel overwhelmed surrounded by so much writing. Jesper leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Wylan to finish his awe-struck staring, and adding quips about the stories that Wylan asked about. When Wylan had finished looking, Jesper took his hand again and off they went.  
The next room that Jesper led Wylan through was an office of sorts. Jesper explained that he worked in that office sometimes to supervise the other editors. Wylan and Jesper talked to the few people there, a girl named Nadia and her partner Tamar. Nadia had long blonde hair and donned a simple blue dress, Tamar with shorter black hair and a navy green outfit which resembled the fashions that lower-class men would wear. Tamar’s golden, almond-shaped eyes indicated her Shu heritage, while Nadia’s accented English suggested she was from Ravka.  
“Hello Nadia, Hello Tamar,” Jesper said, “This is my friend Wylan Van Eck. He’s interested in a job here.” Wylan waved at the two girls as they put down the papers they were editing.  
“Hello, Wylan! It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Nadia said.  
“Hi Nadia, sorry if we disturbed you two,” Wylan said sheepishly.  
“It’s fine, we like having company,” Tamar said, “What position are you interested in applying for?”  
“He wants to be a writer, maybe write some penny bloods and some news stories,” Jesper said.  
Nadia’s face lit up. “Oh, really? That sounds delightful! I hope you get the job, Wylan. My brother, Adrik, is a writer too. Maybe you two could talk about your stories!” Tamar smiled softly as Nadia rambled on about her brother Adrik, and how he was “growing up too quickly”.  
“Nads, Adrik is 17 years old now, he’s not a little boy,” Tamar said, a smile breaking out on her face. Nadia sighed dramatically. “Just because he’s 17 years old doesn’t mean he’s not my little brother anymore.”  
Tamar shrugged and replied, “Whatever you say, darling.” Nadia softened at the pet name and kissed Tamar on the cheek.  
“Ugh, not right now love birds, I have a tour going on,” Jesper said with no real malice. Tamar rolled her eyes and pushed Nadia away gently.  
“Fine. I hope you have a nice rest of your tour, Wylan. Nadia and I would like to see you around headquarters as an employee.”  
Nadia nodded. “It would be so great! Good luck, Wylan.”  
Both lovers waved as Jesper and Wylan exited the office. Wylan couldn't help but grin at Nadia’s enthusiasm. Although, he was a bit surprised that they were in a romantic relationship. His father and the rest of society looked down on same-sex relationships, but Nadia and Tamar didn’t let that get in the way of their love for each other. Wylan felt a pang of jealousy thinking about how happy they were together, able to express their love without judgment from their friends around them.  
“Aren’t they just the loveliest pair?” Jesper asked as he stepped out of the office, turning towards the stairs.  
“They’re really nice,” Wylan replied.  
“It’s only a matter of time before they get married,” Jesper said, glancing at Wylan.  
“They already act like a married couple.” Wylan let that hang in the air as he followed Jesper up the narrow staircase. Jesper stopped at the top of the stairs, turning to face Wylan with a sly smile.  
“Are you ready to meet the devil?” Jesper asked.  
Wylan gulped nervously and said, “As ready as I could ever be.”  
“That’s the spirit.”

The hallway leading from the stairs was covered in picture frames of old news articles and a few photos of the employees together. Wylan noted how they looked like a gang, or a family of people, not one person out of place or awkwardly pushed aside. Wylan felt his stomach lurch as he thought of himself in those pictures. He would smile as he sat with his fellow co-workers, all dressed in their best fashions. He would be sandwiched between Nadia and Tamar, Jesper, Nina, and Genya behind him, all grinning widely, even if the camera took forever to capture the picture. He would keep a copy of the photos with him in his coat jacket or tucked into his penny weekly novels. Those photos would be his most prized possessions. Myself with a family, he thought. He shook himself out of his stupor as he and Jesper approached the office at the end of the hallway. 

Jesper straightened his cravat and vest, exhaling. Wylan held the strap of his bag a little tighter. Pushing the door open to the office, Jesper announced, “Kaz! I have a visitor for you.”  
The man seated at the desk in the center of the room looked up at Jesper, and an annoyed expression painted on his pale face. He had scars littering his features, yet Wylan couldn’t deny the fact that he was handsome. His dark hair was shaved at the sides with the rest of his hair slicked back, an unconventional hairstyle for the time. His dark suit was immaculate and obviously tailored to fit him perfectly. His red crushed velvet vest was a nice contrast to the rest of his dark demeanor.  
“What do you want, Jesper?” Kaz growled, his voice raspy.  
“I brought you a new potential new recruit,” Jesper said, smirking slightly, “Don’t you listen, Kaz? I swear we will have to get your hearing checked.”  
Kaz didn’t laugh at Jesper’s quip. “Haha, very funny Jesper.”  
“Anyways, this is Wylan Van Eck,” Jesper said. Kaz examined Wylan, his eyes slightly narrowed.  
“Hello Mr. Van Eck. What position are you interested in applying for?” Kaz asked, leaning back against his chair.  
Wylan fumbled with his bag a bit before Kaz gestured for Wylan to sit down. Jesper closed the door to Kaz’s office, leaning against the door. Wylan sat down on the chair seated in front of Kaz’s desk.  
“I am interested in applying for writing,” Wylan said after breathing slowly through his nose.  
“Any type of writing specifically?” Kaz said, his face impassive.  
“Uh, I like writing stories.”  
“Ah, an aspiring author to penny dreadfuls,” Kaz said, making a “tsk” sound in his mouth, “Do you have any examples of your writing that you can show me?” Wylan ran his hand against his knuckles nervously.  
“I don’t.” Kaz raised an eyebrow.  
“What is in your bag, then?”  
“A few of my sketchbooks, sheet music, and my flute.” Kaz made a sound in the back of his throat. “I see. Now tell me, Mr. Van Eck, how are you to be a writer, if you can’t show me any pieces of writing? Don’t you think you’re better suited to illustrating stories, or maybe being a musician?”  
Wylan exhaled, his blood pulsing rapidly, nerves on edge.  
“Do you have any writings elsewhere that you can show me?” Kaz inquired.  
“I don’t,” Wylan replied once more, hanging his head.  
Kaz didn’t say anything for a moment. He seemed to be pondering why Wylan would come to him if he didn’t have any pieces; and Wylan was starting to have the same thoughts.  
“Can you read? Write?” Kaz asked finally. His tone didn’t sound condescending, rather slightly pitying which was worse. Wylan felt his heart drop to his stomach.  
“No, sir.” Kaz let Wylan’s admittance of one of his deepest secrets hang between them, tension rising thickly over the office. Wylan started to feel hot tears rising in his eyes, and he blinked rapidly to keep them at bay.  
Jesper saved Wylan from entirely breaking down by saying, “Wylan is extremely creative and has a good work ethic. He could be a valuable asset to our writing team.” Kaz glanced at Jesper, a conversation taking place through their eyes. Jesper broke eye contact but kept a proud expression on his handsome face. Kaz turned back to Wylan, lacing his gloved hands together.  
“How do you propose that you can work here? We’re a publishing company.” Kaz asked, his voice with hints of genuine curiosity. Wylan exhaled, the nerves bundled in his chest releasing the tiniest bit.  
“Jesper and I were talking about having him help me write the stories. I would come with a plot, the dialogue, characters, world building, and ideas while Jesper helps me write them down. We would have a partnership, however, the material written will be of my ideas and characters,” Wylan said. The more he talked about the plan Jesper and he concocted, the more the knot in his chest loosened. Wylan glanced over to Jesper, who gave him a smile and thumbs up. Butterflies filled Wylan’s stomach as he looked away, a smile playing on his lips. Kaz pursed his lips, something twinkling in his eyes.  
“I will give you a week to produce a story for me. No less than four pages, and no more than twenty. I will then judge your talents based on this sample and consider if you are a viable candidate to join our writing team.” Wylan felt the last bits of the knot loosening. He had done it. He convinced Kaz Brekker to give him a chance to prove himself.  
“You are dismissed,” Kaz said, waving his hands towards Wylan and Jesper. Wylan stood up on shaky legs, moving towards the door where Jesper had opened it.  
“One last thing,” Wylan said, turning back to Kaz, who had started on his paperwork once more. Kaz looked up, a mildly surprised expression flashing across his face for a brief moment before he returned it back to his neutral state.  
“Yes, Mr. Van Eck?”  
“Can you not tell anyone about my… difficulty with reading and writing?” Wylan said, stumbling over his words before he got them all out. Kaz tapped his fingers on his desk.  
“As you wish. I look forward to seeing your work.” With that, Jesper and Wylan filed out of Kaz’s office, Jesper closing the door behind him. Jesper brushed his hand over his coiled hair, exhaling.  
“You did it, Wy!” Jesper exclaimed breathlessly, a smile lighting up his face. Wylan felt his eyes widen when Jesper’s arms wrapped around him, but he settled into the embrace and breathed into Jesper’s chest. He smelled like a soothing combination of jurda flowers and paper fresh out of the press. His nerves were still on high alert, but he felt better than before he entered Kaz’s office.  
“Yeah,” Wylan said, his voice cracking a bit.  
“We have to start writing! Do you have any stories in particular that you feel will win Kaz over? If not, that’s okay too. We can come up with something, or you can come up with something-” Wylan cut off Jesper’s excited rambling by putting a hand on his shoulder.  
“Thank you, Jesper,” Wylan said simply, “I wouldn’t be in this position without you and I don’t know how I will ever repay you.” Jesper’s skin heated under Wylan’s touch.  
“Don’t worry about it, Wy. It will be a pleasure working with you on your debut novel.” Wylan’s pulse quickened as Jesper’s voice took on a more serious tone, his gray eyes softening as they met Wylan’s. “Now, are you ready to write a bloody brilliant story, or will I have to wait all day?” Jesper teased, placing his hand on top of Wylan’s, which was still on Jesper’s shoulder. Wylan shuddered and smiled in return.  
“Let’s write a story that even Kaz Brekker would be mad to turn down.”


	3. Chapter Three: Wylan Van Eck

It turned out that writing a story was harder than Wylan anticipated. He and Jesper had set up more designated times where they would work on Wylan’s story together, and Wylan found himself glad to be spending more time with the other boy. Despite Wylan’s excitement at the prospect of working with Jesper and the fact that Kaz had given him an opportunity to prove himself, Wylan found himself getting stuck over his ideas. He had so many stories planned out in his mind that he didn’t know what to write. Jesper had been patient with Wylan, reassuring him that whatever he wrote would be great. Even with Jesper’s faith, Wylan worried about what would win Kaz over. He spent hours after his tour of Crows Publishing thinking about his numerous story ideas, his sketchbooks opened to the pages where Wylan would try to illustrate a certain scene or certain characters. He found himself growing frustrated and decided to try to get some sleep. 

A day had passed since his initial tour and Wylan couldn’t stop thinking about what he was going to write. He doodled mindlessly on his paper during class, half listening to his professor explain the formulas they were supposed to be learning. He had already memorized the formulas in question; he found math and science easier than reading and writing. Numbers and symbols were simply easier to understand, but alas, he couldn’t write a story using formulas and numbers. Daydreaming about a swashbuckling pirate on the high seas, Wylan let himself get lost in his newest fantasy. 

As Wylan walked to the library to meet up with Jesper after his classes, he stopped by the rippling waterfall in the center of the courtyard. Students roamed around the cobblestone ground, some discussing the newest edition of a penny blood, and others talking about the school work they were assigned to do. Wylan sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the water trickle down the sides of the polished stone. He ran his hands through the clear water, watching it ripple at his touch. Maybe he hoped that looking at something other than a blank sheet of paper would help him think of something. Wylan sat near the fountain for a few more minutes, however; something nagged at him in the back of his mind. He had conjured a story a few months ago while he was on the ship to London, a story he had almost forgotten about. 

His father had kicked him out of his home without a second thought. He let Wylan have the luxury of talking his possessions with him and he sent his son off with a considerable amount of money. Wylan had packed his belongings with tears stinging his eyes, threatening to roll down his cheeks. His father slapped him and told him to be grateful that he was allowed to go to university, but Wylan knew that his father only wanted to get rid of him. It made sense, Jan Van Eck didn’t want his illiterate son to sully the family name. His father told him he wished he wasn’t cursed with a boy like him. Wylan left his home with his head held high and his emotions bottled up, threatening to open at any mention or memory of his father. Wylan scoffed, a bitter taste lingering in his mouth as he thought about the way his father spoke to him, as if he was the scum under his shoe. 

After a few weeks at sea, Wylan’s rage had dimmed to a spark. Anger was replaced with sadness and despair. He spiralled until he felt numb. Long nights alone in his cabin allowed his mind to explore new possibilities, new stories. He had thought of dark mysteries, free pirates, lost princes, and women with soft, enchanting voices, but the plot of a dark-murder mystery series took the fore-front in his mind. He let his thoughts wander, taking tropes and pieces from his traumatic home experience to create the perfect murder. 

Wylan pulled his hand back from the water, as if the liquid had shocked him. With an excited gleam in his eye, he pulled his bag over his shoulder and sprinted to meet Jesper at their spot in the library. He dodged the throngs of students walking by, calling out apologies over his shoulder. His mind reeled and the wide grin he wore was luminescent. 

***

Jesper practically kissed Wylan when he heard his story pitch. Jesper’s reaction was enough for Wylan’s face to turn a bright red, and the grin Jesper sported sent the butterflies in his stomach into a flurry. The rays of sunlight streaming through the window highlighted Jesper’s rich umber skin, which Wylan found devastatingly beautiful. Pools of sunlight radiated on his high cheekbones, broad nose, and full lips. When Wylan caught himself staring at those lips, he looked down towards his feet and felt his face heat up. 

Wylan and Jesper quickly got to work together, drafting a cast of characters made of people their age. Wylan had pitched a murder mystery of university students overthrowing the sinister professor that haunted throughout the streets of London; a tale which included most of Wylan’s original idea with numerous suggestions from Jesper that Wylan gratefully took. They found themselves working together wonderfully, pitching ideas together and discussing how certain characters would interact and react to things. Wylan found himself jittery by the end of their brainstorming session, a flicker of hope resonating deep in his heart. At the end of their meeting, Jesper wished Wylan a goodnight and swept out of the library as the sun was setting on the campus. 

Walking back to his apartment, Wylan felt light on his feet. He ate dinner quietly, jotting down some math equations and sketching out illustrations to help him better visualize his story. The quiet scratching of his pen on the parchment filled the rest of the night, followed by a slow song played on the flute. As his fingers played the smooth, brass instrument, he couldn’t help but think of Jesper while playing the song he’d chosen. It was a song his mother taught him before she’d left that one fateful night. She had left without saying goodbye, but Wylan found a small painting done on a small square of wood resting on his desk the next morning. The scene was a simple depiction of the garden of his home, the vibrant colors and sure strokes of paint taking Wylan’s breath away. He carried the painting everywhere. It quickly became his light during his first few painful months in London and a reminder to keep going and chase down his dreams. Taking the painting out of his jacket pocket, he ran his fingers over the pink petals of the tulips in the bottom right corner and the small roses adorning the left side of the painting. 

Wylan’s heart ached with the longing to see his mother again, the desire to have her hold him in her arms and tell him everything would be okay. Her floral scent perfume would linger on her clothes and encompass him when she hugged him. They would sit together and play music late into the afternoon, and Wylan would tell her about the stories he was dreaming about writing. Wylan had almost forgotten her gentle expression when she listened to his ramblings. She would ask questions and engage into his stories, telling him to pursue his dreams and to never give up. A tear fell down his pale cheek. Wylan wiped his face with the back of his hand, a small smile playing on his lips. She would be proud of how far I’ve gotten, Wylan thought. 

***  
The next week flew by in a flurry of meetings. However, Wylan prided himself on his work ethic and he and Jesper were able to write up the perfect murder. He and Jesper got along extremely well, Jesper helping him work out gimmicks and suggesting ideas to help move the story along. They would sit together at their spot in the corner of the library, conversing about the characters and what would come after the first 20-page installation. After days and nights of furiously working, Jesper suggested that they go to the bakery Nina had taken them to previously to celebrate the completion of Wylan’s first story. Jesper even insisted on paying for the food, despite Wylan’s numerous counter arguments. He eventually agreed to let Jesper pay, but he made a mental note to find a way to pay him back. Maybe Jesper liked sweets? 

Wylan took a bite out of his waffles, content with the sweet syrup, warmth seeping down his throat. Jesper took a sip of his tea, eyeing him over the brim.   
“What are you looking at?” Wylan asked worriedly, afraid that he had some food around his mouth. Jesper turned his head toward the floor and put his cup down.  
“You.” Jesper said, looking up. He put his hand on the table. Wylan felt tempted to grab Jesper’s hand. Rationality took over before he could make the move, and he blinked away the thought as Jesper took a bite of his waffles. Before Wylan knew it, Jesper’s plate was clear and the boy was staring lazily out the window next to their booth. Wylan was impressed by the speed at which Jesper ate his waffles and he smiled into his bite of food.   
“I don’t know how you do it,” Wylan said, setting down his fork. Jesper looked away from the window, his knee bouncing with uncontrollable energy.   
“Are you talking about my devastatingly good looks? Because contrary to popular belief, it is not as effortless as it seems. Or, are you perhaps talking about my impressive waffle-eating skills?” Jesper asked playfully, a twinkle in his gray eyes.   
“You wrecked that plate of waffles, I’m impressed,” Wylan responded with a grin.   
“Ah, young pupil, you will master the ways of waffle eating one day. Mentor Zenik and I, Mentor Fahey, will show you the way,” Jesper said, intimidating the posh way some of his professors spoke. Wylan laughed, throwing his head back. When he looked up again, the warm expression on Jesper’s face as he chuckled took his breath away. Something lurched in Wylan’s stomach and Jesper blinked a few times, clearing his throat. Wylan ran his hand over his knuckles, eyes cast downward. Jesper tapped his ring against the smooth surface of the table. “Alright, are you ready to send the story over to Kaz? Nina has been pestering me about when you’re coming over again.” Wylan grinned as he thought about the last time they saw each other, a spark of joy illuminating his heart. He had missed everyone he met at Crows Publishing.   
“I think so, maybe we could have Nina re-read it and make sure there aren’t any major plot holes,” Wylan thought aloud, tapping his chin, “And I miss her dearly. I do hope she’s doing well.”   
“Nina would be overjoyed to read your story. She’s been asking me about it for days. ‘How far are you all?’ ‘What’s the plot?’ ‘Can I read it?’ All sorts of questions like that.” Jesper smiled fondly, igniting a flutter in Wylan’s heart; a feeling becoming more familiar to him as the weeks went on.   
***  
As Jesper and Wylan walked down Fleet Street, Wylan allowed his mind to wander. He was excited for Kaz to read over his story, and he had high hopes for its success. He felt a tinge of guilt, though. He didn’t want to put any pressure onto Jesper by having him write all of his penny bloods, something that Wylan knew would take a vast amount of time and effort. Despite them working well together, Wylan made the decision to seek out other writers to help him translate his thoughts into words on paper. He was eternally grateful for the opportunity Jesper had given him and the amount of faith he had that Wylan would become a bestseller. 

Jesper looked towards Wylan, a hopeful expression on his handsome face. Breath catching in his throat, Wylan smiled and nudged Jesper’s shoulder.   
“If the writing thing doesn’t work, I could always be the errand boy,” Wylan said, attempting to lighten up the mood. Jesper chuckled. “I’m sure Kaz would love that. He gets cranky without his tea. I suspect that he adds whiskey to it.”  
“Don’t we all get moody without our daily cup of tea?”   
“I thought you Americans drank coffee,” Jesper said with a teasing grin. Wylan sighed dramatically.   
“Tea has grown on me, unfortunately.”   
Jesper gasped, clutching his hand to his heart. “I’m shocked! An American admitting that they enjoy tea.”   
Wylan snorted and looked away, a blush spreading across his cheeks. 

As they stepped into the publishing office, Nina ambushed them in a flurry of hugs and kisses on their cheeks. Jeper groaned and broke away from her tight grip.   
“We missed you too, Zenik.”   
Nina pouted, doing her best puppy dog impression. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you two handsome boys. You need to visit more often. This job gets boring.”   
Wylan blinked. “What do you do?”   
“I used to be on the lookout for gossip and tragic tales of woe, sleuthing around the streets of London, but I blew my cover so Kaz put me on front desk management for a few weeks,” Nina replied, swooning dramatically.   
“Truly harrowing,” Jesper deadpanned with an affectionate pat on Nina’s shoulder. Nina swatted his hand away playfully.   
“Anyway, what brings you two in today?” She asked. Jesper shifted his weight, leaning against the counter.  
“Wylan finished his story and we think it’s ready for Kaz’s scrutiny,” Jesper said, eyes shining.   
“We were wondering if you’d like to read it!” Wylan added as Nina grew visibly excited. She squealed and threw her arms around Wylan once more.   
“That’s so exciting! I’d absolutely love to read it.” Wylan and Jesper both sported wide smiles as they handed Nina the manuscript. 

Nina rested her arms against the wooden counter, her green eyes scanning the papers quickly. Her lips quirked into a smile. Wylan waited anxiously for a long five minutes and Jesper began tapping his ring against the counter.   
“This is brilliant, Wylan,” Nina said, handing the papers back to Wylan. “And Jesper, your writing is incredible as always.” Jesper grinned. Nina clapped her hands together excitedly. “Mean old Kaz would be mad to turn down a masterpiece like this! You two are absolutely amazing authors.” Wylan couldn’t help noticing how Jesper’s face glowed at the mention of Kaz; maybe he was reading too far into it, but he couldn't help but feel the sharp tang of jealousy in his heart.   
Jesper squeezed Wylan’s arm. “You really think he’ll like it?”   
Nina playfully shoved Jesper’s shoulder. “Don’t be silly now. Walk up those stairs and blow Kaz Brekker’s mind.”   
***

Wylan and Jesper stepped into Kaz’s office after hesitantly knocking on the wooden door, waiting for Kaz’s gruff voice allowing them to enter. Kaz gestured for both Wylan and Jesper to sit. After briefly explaining the premise of the plot and how they planned on continuing the story, Wylan handed the manuscript over to Kaz’s gloved hands. He thumbed through the pages, scanning their words with a critical eye. 

Wylan fidgeted in his seat, running his hands over his knuckles and observing the office. It was kept relatively well organized. Stacks of papers littered his oak desk and his shelves were filled with additional books and folders. Wylan wondered what the folders contained, but his train of thought didn’t continue long as he noticed Jesper tapping his fingers on his bouncing knee. Jesper looked up from the place on a bookshelf he was staring at, noticing Wylan’s gaze. Jesper looked back into Wylan’s eyes and squeezed his knee gently. He smiled reassuringly and played with the gold ring on his finger, mouthing “It will be okay.” Wylan smiled in return, shrugging his shoulders. Kaz broke the silence by clearing his throat.   
“This is excellent,” Kaz said, placing the papers on the desk before him, “I will come to a conclusion about your job proposition in the next few days and I will contact you with my decision.”   
Wylan blinked, surprise flashing across his face. “Thank you Mr. Brekker.”   
Kaz waved a hand, “You’re free to go. Jesper, do you mind staying behind?”   
“Not at all,” Jesper quickly replied, standing up, “Just allow me to escort Wylan out.” Wylan stood up as well.   
Kaz sighed, “I suppose, but make it quick.”   
“Thank you for the opportunity Mr. Brekker.” Wylan and Jesper walked out of the office together, Jesper closing the door behind him. Wylan let out a breath.   
“That went well,” Jesper said, trekking down the stairs behind Wylan. Wylan laughed.   
“It went better than I thought it would.”   
The sound of the bottom of Jesper’s shoe hitting the smooth wooden floor punctuated the quiet silence they fell into.   
“I don’t want to bring your hopes down, but Kaz Brekker is a master at concealing his emotions and what he’s really thinking. There’s a chance that he will turn you down and that’s something I think you deserve to know, “ Jesper said as they exited the shop, turning towards Wylan, “I think that you have a good chance, though.”   
Wylan nodded. “That’s something that crossed my mind. We can only hope that whatever he decides, it’ll be in our favor.”   
Jesper smiled and said, “Hopefully, sunshine. I’ll see you later.” With that, he turned on his heel and stalked back up to Kaz’s office. Wylan watched Jesper’s fleeting silhouette and he couldn’t help the flame of hope that flared in his chest.


	4. Chapter Four: Jesper Fahey

As Jesper walked back into the publishing office he was greeted with the sight of Nina leaning over the counter, her chin resting on top of her cream-colored hands.  
“Sooooo,” she started, her eyes glancing over to the door where Jesper had left Wylan, “How’d the interview go?”  
Jesper sighed, mindlessly tapping his ring against his hand. “It went well. I think. Kaz was impressed, which is always a good sign. He wants me in his office, though, so I better get going.”  
Nina gasped incredulously. “Kaz was impressed?”  
“Yep. Wylan somehow managed to impress old man Brekker,” Jesper said. His heart stuttered in pride for his fiery-haired companion, a small smile creeping onto his face.  
Nina squinted her eyes, then let out a dramatic gasp. “You like him!”  
Jesper whipped his head around to face Nina’s wicked grin. “Of course I like him. He’s my friend. It would be rather disappointing if I didn’t like my friends.” Nina huffed.  
“You know what I mean.”  
Jesper cleared his throat and started up the stairs, calling out behind him. “He’s just a dear friend.”  
As Jesper reached the top step he heard Nina call, “Sure, whatever you say,” drawing out the “u” in sure. Jesper rolled his eyes and entered Kaz’s office, twisting the ring on his middle finger. Kaz sat straight-backed in his chair, looking over the papers Wylan left. Clearing his throat, Jesper sat down in the chair across from Kaz.  
“What did you want?”  
Kaz glanced up. “I want to discuss adding Wylan to our staff. I don’t know how much we can profit off of his work.”  
“Kaz, we’ve talked about this before. He’s a valuable asset to the team.”  
“Yes, but how much would we actually make off of his work? To profit, we’d have to make over 40 pounds every week, not to mention this story would be a direct rival to the one Pekka is selling,” Kaz paused, leaning back in his chair, a hint of his facade crumbling. “And I’m not sure how quickly we can produce these stories.” He waved a hand in the air with nonchalance.  
Jesper considered this for a moment. He assumed Kaz was referring to Wylan not actually writing the stories himself, hindering the production of them. Jesper knew that profit was important but he couldn’t help but feel offended by Kaz’s insinuation that Jesper himself wasn’t motivated enough or able to write the stories every week to be published. He was perfectly capable and wished Kaz would stop underestimating him. Jesper took in an angry breath.  
“Kaz, we would make hundreds! Wylan’s stories are amazing and they’ll outsell Pekka’s. I can feel it,” Jesper exclaimed, tapping his ring against the wood. The familiar clack of the metal on the wood helped calm him down a bit. Kaz huffed in annoyance, realigning his posture.  
“We should be making thousands, Jesper. I can’t afford to add another author if we aren’t going to profit.”  
Jesper groaned and ran his hands down his face. “I know they’ll sell, Kaz. Just trust me.”  
“How can you be sure?”  
“How are you sure they won’t sell?”  
“Dear lord, Jesper! I’m running a business. I know you like him, I know he’s talented, but there’s too much of a risk. We can’t lose money, especially with Pekka hounding-”  
“I know we’re in a tight spot. But this story can be our salvation.”  
Kaz flexed his hands.  
“If you would listen to me, maybe we could figure some-” Jesper was cut short as a small Suli girl entered the room. Her white shirt sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and a thin sheen of sweat covered her bronze skin. Her mouth contorted into a disapproving frown as she assessed the situation before her.  
“Are you two bickering about Van Eck’s kid again?” she questioned, narrowing her eyes in Kaz’s direction.  
“Yes, Inej. Jesper thinks he could make good money,” Kaz said, standing up and readjusting the lapels of his perfectly tailored black coat.

Jesper sighed and opened his mouth to explain his thoughts; however, the sudden alertness that overtook Kaz stopped him in his tracks. Inej must’ve sensed Kaz’s shift in mood too, as she moved to grab the knife stowed in the waistband of her pants. Jesper stood and scanned the office as he reached for the revolvers at his hips. A soft crow whistle sounded from the main office and shop. Inej moved across the room, her steps making no noise as she peered outside the hallway. Her breath hitched slightly as she saw the person who had entered the building, Nina’s back rigid as the person wandered around the shop. Inej floated back towards the doorway and into the main area of the publishing office. 

Kaz’s stiff posture finally relaxed for a minute as Inej walked back into the office with Genya, her blue dress sweeping the office floor and her scarred face twisted in worry. Inej closed the door firmly behind her.  
“One of Pekka’s spies is here,” Genya said, smoothing out her skirt.  
Kaz cursed under his breath. “This is the third time this week.”  
“They must be getting really desperate,” Inej commented.  
Jesper sighed, “Pekka is unhappy with the profit he’s making and he’s afraid that we’re going to catch up to him and produce something to rival his best selling penny blood.” Jesper briefly glanced towards Kaz, then lifted his eyebrow towards Inej. 

Jesper and Inej had been close friends ever since they started working together. Jesper would argue that she was his closest and dearest friend. Over the years of their friendship, they had learned each other’s body language and facial expressions. Now, they could glance at each other and have full conversations shared between them. Inej shifted on her feet and nodded slightly. 

“Kaz, don’t you think this would be the perfect time to get ahead of the game?” Inej asked, silently padding over to his side. Kaz shifted his weight and adjusted his cane.  
“Yes,” he replied in a clipped tone. Jesper rolled his eyes and Inej bit the inside of her cheek.  
“Kaz…” Inej started, but she was quickly cut off by Nina opening the door. She strode towards the rest of the group.  
“Pekka’s goon is gone,” she said as Genya lifted an eyebrow towards her direction.  
“They didn’t stay long,” Genya pointed out. Nina nodded.  
“They didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry. Maybe Pekka thinks we can’t catch up,” Inej added thoughtfully.  
“Apparently so,” Jesper said. Kaz huffed in annoyance.  
“I know what you two are trying to say,” Kaz replied. Nina glanced between the four of them, from Genya standing near the bookcase, Jesper leaning against Kaz’s desk, Inej hovering by Kaz’s side, to Kaz’s sour expression.  
“Did I miss something?” Nina asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. A few moments later, she understood the tense air between Jesper, Inej, and Kaz. “Ah. It’s about Wylan, isn’t it.”  
Genya nodded solemnly. “As much fun this was, I better get going back to work. Zoya wants me to look over a few documents.” With that, Genya trekked back down the stairs, carrying her dress to not trip over it. Nina watched her go and then turned back to Kaz.  
“Kaz, it would be stupid to not hire him now.”  
Sighing, Kaz replied, “I’ll think about it. You three get going, we have a business to run.” Inej cracked her knuckles and Jesper and Nina followed her out of Kaz’s office. 

“He’s a pain in the ass,” Nina groaned as they walked down the stairs. “I have no idea how you can stand him.”  
Inej’s laugh sounded like a melody. “Sometimes I don’t know how I stand him either.”  
“Probably because you’re the only one with enough patience,” Jesper added.  
Inej was silent for a moment. “You could argue that.” The three of them passed by Adrik and Leoni in one of the various work rooms. Nina waved and Jesper and Inej called out hello. They looked up from their papers, Leoni wearing a bright grin. Her amethyst colored dress contrasted radiantly against her dark-sepia skin, black hair tied up in a messy bun. Adrik, on the other hand, was like a storm cloud compared to Leoni’s sun. He looked alarmingly like his sister, Nadia, with the same piercing green eyes and blond hair. 

Jesper had missed Leoni. They hadn’t seen each other around the office lately, Leoni and Adrik being busy with other tasks that Zoya handed them. Jesper shuddered as he remembered what it was like working with Zoya. She was cutthroat and knew how to get what she wanted. Jesper had a deep respect for her and her leadership.  
“Good day! I miss all of you, we should catch up soon!” Leoni said cheerfully. Jesper grinned. He absolutely adored his cousin.  
“We missed you guys too! Waffles tomorrow morning?” Inej chimed in.  
“Yes please! You know I can’t turn down a good waffle,” said Nina, clapping her hands together in excitement.  
“Sounds good. See you then,” Leoni replied, looking towards Adrik, “You’ll be joining us.” Adrik sighed and said, “I know. I wouldn’t want Nina to attack me if I didn’t go.” Leoni raised an eyebrow.  
“And because I like spending time with you heathens,”Adrik corrected.  
“That’s the spirit,” Leoni said, patting his cheek affectionately.  
Jesper cleared his throat, “We better get going. And I’m not paying, I paid last time.”  
Nina stuck out her tongue. “Rude.”  
“You know, I think it’s only fair Nina pays this time,” Inej said, nudging Jesper’s shoulder, a wicked smile playing on her face.  
“I second that,” Leoni called.  
“Fine, fine. I surrender,” said Nina dramatically. 

***

As Jesper walked back to the library to tutor Wylan his mind wandered from the day’s events to Wylan’s bright smile. He realized he didn’t know much about Wylan’s life, besides the little pieces Wylan had shared with him. He knew that Wylan was sent to London from his home in America to study and get higher education. He knew that Wylan had a lot of trouble reading, and that he was dyslexic. And he knew that Wylan had a dark past that he wasn’t willing to share with him quite yet. Jesper sighed as he crossed the street; he wanted to get to know the other boy a bit better, but he would wait until he was ready to share. 

When he was a young boy, growing up in the lush jurda fields of Novyi Zem, he and his mother would bask in the sun growing and planting food and jurda flowers. Aditi was a kind and loving mother and Jesper had loved her, right down to the smile lines that graced her aging features. She was a tall woman, with the same rich umber skin Jesper had and a no-nonsense attitude which Jesper had idolized and respected. Her kind obsidian eyes were much different from his stormy gray, the color he shared with his Da. Colm had been a great role model and part of Jesper’s life, and he didn't want to let him down. They had worked in the fields together every morning, Colm’s pale skin tanned from long days out in the sun and rough from hard days of work. Colm had loved his mother with every fiber of his being, cherishing and supporting her. They had the kind of love that Jesper could only dream of having. 

One of the lessons that Aditi and Colm had taught him was to always care for others, and to help those in need. As Jesper grew older and moved away from Novyi Zem to pursue higher education, that lesson had always stuck with him. Maybe it was the memory of his mother handing out food, water, and blankets to the young kids in town who didn’t have access to any. Or it was his Da helping build new buildings around the town and volunteering every Friday to help the people in their community. But maybe it was simply the way Aditi and Colm cared for their community, a kindness that Jesper had idolized in his parents’ prideful smiles and strong bodies.

Tucking that thought away, Jesper crossed the campus towards the vast library of his university. Maybe he would learn a little more about Wylan today. He would really like to know, but he wasn’t even sure why he was so interested in Wylan. Recently, he had found himself wanting to spend all his time with the sunshiney boy who always brightened his day. Donning a bright smile, Jesper walked down to the desk that the two of them claimed as their own. Wylan was already seated in his spot, taking out his notebooks and sketchbook. Jesper had seen a few of his sketches, and Wylan took his breath away with the sure strokes of his pen.  
“Good day, Wylan,” Jesper said, setting his bag down on the floor. Wylan looked up and smiled at him, sending nerves tingling down his back.  
“Hi Jesper.” Settling down, Jesper took out his notebooks and his copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  
“Let’s go over what happens in this chapter and the themes present,” Jesper said, flipping through his notes and to the chapter in question. Wylan nodded and set aside his sketchbook. They fell into an easy rhythm, Jesper and Wylan discussing the subject matter. Jesper noticed that Wylan seemed to be more knowledgeable about the chapters they read recently. He was more confident, even running his finger along some of the passages as he spoke about them. Setting aside his book, Jesper stretched out in his chair.  
“Hey Wy?”  
“Yes?” Wylan replied, looking up.  
“Have you done any additional tutoring lately?”  
Wylan’s blue eyes widened almost comically. “What makes you think that?”  
Jesper tapped his chin and pursed his lips. “You seem to already know what’s happening in the chapters.”  
Wylan chuckled awkwardly, then cleared his throat. “Uh. Not exactly. I’m having a neighbor read the chapters to me. A nice lady from the Wandering Isle who also likes to give me shortbread cookies. She doesn’t get much company so I thought I’d pay her a visit. After a few weeks of visits, we started talking about books and she volunteered to read to me.”  
Jesper blinked in surprise. Oh. He wasn’t expecting that.  
“Ah, I see.”  
“Yeah.”  
“Tell her I said hello the next time you see her.”  
Wylan nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, I talked to her a bit about you. She already adores you. I mean, who wouldn’t?”  
Jesper shrugged nonchalantly. “Glad to see my charm still works wonders.”  
Wylan laughed and lightly smacked Jesper’s shoulder.  
“Okay, okay.” Jesper held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m glad she likes me.”  
“You must meet her sometime.”  
“I would be honored to meet her. Anyone who gives me free food already has my love.” Wylan smiled devilishly.  
“I, unfortunately, don’t have any food besides bread and cheese, but anything to gain your love,” Wylan said lightly, but with an undertone of seriousness.  
Jesper bit his lip. He wasn’t expecting Wylan to be so forward with his flirtations. Or, at least Jesper thought he was being flirtatious. Maybe he was just trying to be friendly? Jesper considered saying “You already have it,” but he thought it a little too much.  
“I would be honored to share your rations, Van Sunshine. Throw in some mandazi and you have me,” Jesper said, his mouth watering at the mention of his favorite pastries from Novyi Zem. Jesper swore his mother made the best mandazi in the whole city. She would hand them out anytime she made them, fairly often due to Jesper’s love and adoration for them. “If you don’t mind me asking, what is a mandazi?” Wylan asked, his pronunciation of ‘mandazi’ slightly lilted and incorrect. Jesper gently corrected him. “They’re these delicious fried pastries. They’re usually shaped like golden-brown triangles and they’re very fluffy on the inside.” Jesper paused. “And they’re usually less sweet than the fried dough you guys have here.” “I would love that.” The two of them smiled at each other dumbly, lost in the moment of their bonding. Wylan looked handsome in the dim light emanating from the oil lamps scattering the library, his normally soft features standing out against the sharpness of the shadows that fell on his pale skin. Wylan’s blue eyes took on a darker, stormier blue, but they still held the same youthful light that Jesper liked so much about him. Jesper tapped his fingers on the table and looked at his own hand, plain save for the intricate gold band on his finger. A gift from his parents when he left Novyi Zem. It was quite possibly Jesper’s most prized possession. He felt Wylan’s gaze still on him, but he didn’t mind the boy’s staring. After all, he probably stared at Wylan more than he would like to admit. 

Jesper often found himself longing for the peaceful nights of Novyi Zem, the warm air brushing his lanky limbs as he sat in the jurda fields, taking in the serenity of the quiet animal sounds and twinkling stars. He would go there to clear his head after long days, laying in their soft petals to reset his mind. When he moved to London he had a tough time adjusting to it all. The never-ceasing chaos of the London streets annoyed Jesper, especially at night when all he wanted was quiet. Loud horse-drawn carriages, bickering families, and every sound that filled the London streets had eventually become numb to him. Jesper learned to tune the sounds out, opting to write or practice his Zemini. He had also spent many late nights gambling at the local gambling halls, getting better and better at the games. His favorites were the card games, and he would find himself playing over and over until the sun had risen and his eyes were dark with the longing of a full night’s rest. Jesper noticed his grades slipping, though, and had done his best to stop going to the gambling halls out of guilt. He was sure that his Ma would not have been happy if she knew how horribly he’d been treating himself.

He would slip himself a few jurda petals bought from the local pharmacy each night to help him stay awake while he was catching up on his school work. They would stain his teeth orange, but the effects of the flower were more than worth the price of the color of his teeth. And besides, jurda wasn’t an illicit drug; that would be its cousin, jurda parem. Parem was something that Jesper had made sure to stay far away from, especially because Fjerdan merchers stocked the drug. 

“Hey, Jesper?” Wylan asked, disrupting the quiet of the library. 

“Yes?” Jesper replied, glancing towards Wylan’s big blue eyes. 

“What was your childhood like?” Jesper was slightly taken aback by Wylan’s question but replied anyway. Maybe Wylan would open up once he did.

“As you know, I grew up in Novyi Zem. It’s beautiful there, Wy, you need to see it sometime. I didn’t have any siblings, but I loved my cousin, Leoni, as if she was my sister. We’re still close and she came to London shortly after me.” Jesper paused. “And she works at Crows Publishing if you’re wondering.” 

“Why did you move to London?” Wylan asked, running his fingers over the ridges of his knuckles.

“I wanted to pursue higher education and I thought I could get more opportunities here. Though, I miss Novyi Zem more and more everyday.” Wylan hummed, his eyes alight with attention. Jesper continued talking about his life in Novyi Zem, about his parents, and how much he missed it there. He also found himself talking about his struggles and personal problems that no one but Inej and Leoni had heard before. Such as, how Kaz treated him like shit and how Jesper was fed up, but he still pined after him anyways. His irrational fear of not doing well in London and wasting his time here, the atrocious styles of London formal wear (not something overly personal but he missed the Senglanese Kaftans they would wear at home)

Wylan had also opened up. About his home-life before he came to London and his childhood in America. He talked about his abusive father and how his mother died young, leaving Wylan in the world alone to deal with the trauma his father inflicted on him.  
Wylan laughed bitterly. “I’m glad to be away from him. Good-riddance.” Jesper placed a hand on top of Wylan’s.  
“Thank you for sharing. You- you don’t have to share anything else. If you’re not comfortable.” Wylan shook his head vehemently.  
“No, no. I want to share, and I trust you Jesper.” Jesper flushed, turning his head away from Wylan, then quickly looking back and making eye-contact.  
“The floor is yours, sunshine.”  
Jesper listened intently as Wylan detailed his trip from America to the streets of London, and how he hated every moment he was stuck in his tiny room aboard the ship. Jesper understood Wylan’s struggle. They had talked on and on, sharing feelings and experiences. Soon the sun was low in the sky and the staff was quietly waiting for everyone to shuffle out of the library. Jesper and Wylan packed up their belongings talking about lighter topics to balance out the years of trauma and feelings that were shared. They walked out, side-by-side, their arms brushing ever so often, sending jolts of electricity down Jesper’s body. Stopping outside of the hotel Wylan was staying at, Jesper took in the soft sounds of the crows in the distance and the surprisingly warm breeze sweeping through the streets. Jesper glanced up at the moon which hung low in the sky.  
“Have a nice night, Wylan,” Jesper offered, his normally confident air escaping him. Wylan offered a smile.  
“You too Jesper. It was nice talking to you.”  
“It was interesting to see what happens in that mind of yours- and of course getting to know you better.”  
“I’m glad I was sufficient.”  
“See you tomorrow,” Jesper said with a slight quirk of his lips.  
“See you tomorrow,” Wylan affirmed, turning on his heel to walk inside the building, but he paused and turned back to Jesper, red creeping around his ears.  
“Are you well?” Jesper asked, cocking his head to better look at Wylan. Wylan’s ears only grew redder as he stepped towards Jesper, planting a quick kiss to his cheek. Jesper’s mind short-circuited as Wylan pulled back and said, “Bye Jes.” as he walked into his hotel.  
Jesper scrambled to put his mind back together and called, “You’re cute, Wylan.” Wylan blushed upon hearing his praise and waved ‘good night’ over his shoulder as Jesper turned to leave. Goodnight indeed.


	5. Chapter Five: Wylan Van Eck

The next few days went by in a blur of classwork and stress, Wylan worriedly anticipating news about Kaz and Crow’s Publishing. On Saturday, Wylan rolled out of his bed, fumbling around the dark to turn on his oil lamp. The chill of the nighttime air crept into his room as the sun rose sleepily over the gray streets. Wylan got dressed quickly, reluctant to expose his skin to the cold for more than a few minutes. Sliding on his shoes, he walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth and brush his unruly hair back.  
Looking at himself in the mirror, Wylan’s thoughts wandered to Jesper’s broad, beautiful smile, and his quick wit which Wylan was surprised he adored so much. Smiling to himself, Wylan set his comb back down onto the counter and walked back into his room. After making his bed, Wylan sat down at his desk, thumbing through the pages of sheet music stored in his bag. Taking his flute out, Wylan softly blew a few notes before playing the piece he picked out. The notes of Bossetti’s “Would I were with thee” reminded him of Jesper in every note he played, each high a low strung together to create a devastatingly beautiful melody. Finishing the song, Wylan’s stomach growled hungrily, and he packed his flute away with breakfast on his mind.

Walking down to the lobby of the hotel, Wylan hummed softly, reveling in the quiet of the morning. Passing by the lady behind the front desk, a middle-aged woman from Ravka with a neat bun of dark hair streaked through with gray, Wylan waved cheerfully with a ‘good morning’. The lady waved back and responded in her accented English.  
“Have a good day!” She called. 

“You too!” Wylan responded, turning back to look at her. Wylan walked out of the building, hoping to buy a loaf of bread and some cheese for his breakfast. Surprisingly, his name was called by a warm voice as soon as he took a step towards the store. Jerking his head around to face the person who called him, Wylan was surprised to see Jesper with a bright smile and dressed in tailored clothes, handsome and well-dressed as always. Wylan’s heart fluttered unprompted and he quickly stomped down the feeling. 

“Good day, Jes,” Wylan said, surprise coating his expression. Jesper ran his fingers along the brim of his dark blue hat, a jurda flower placed on the brim precariously. 

“Morning, Wylan. It’s lovely to see you alive on this fine day,” Jesper responded jokingly. Wylan rolled his eyes. 

“You too, you handsome bloke.” Jesper stuck his tongue in his cheek at Wylan’s compliment and masked his excitement. “What brings you to my humble abode?” 

“I was just thinking we could go for breakfast today. And maybe you could meet some of my mates from Crows Publishing too,” Jesper said, his hand gestures moving wildly. Wylan bit his lip to hide a smile forming. 

“That sounds exciting.” A beat of silence between the two, a thin layer of tension rising. 

“Is that a yes?” 

“Yes. I’m saying yes. I would absolutely adore meeting your friends,” responded Wylan, not bothering to hide the grin that took over his face. 

“Excellent. Come on, we best get on our way now. I have already made them wait long enough.” Jesper held out his arm for Wylan to take, much like how men would do to ladies of their particular interest. Wylan blinked and then took his arm. He was shocked to learn that Jesper was made of all lean muscle; something that he should’ve known considering Jesper’s childhood days working in the bright sun. Shaking off his initial shock, Wylan strode with Jesper in relative comfort, trying to ignore the small amounts of people that stared at their intertwined arms in disbelief, and something that Wylan assumed was disgust. 

“What are your friends like?” Wylan asked, breaking the silence between them. Jesper considered for a moment. 

“Well, there’s Inej Ghafa, who has a heart of gold but won’t hesitate to slice your throat if provoked.” Jesper looked over to Wylan, a small smile on his face. “She’s my best friend too. We met through Crows Publishing and we’re Kaz’s seconds, or right hand people if you’re not familiar with street talk.” Wylan nodded in affirmation. 

“Then, there’s Leoni Hilli who might be an actual ray of sunshine. She’s bright and intelligent, always looking for the good in people. She’s also my wonderful cousin,” Jesper gazed towards the sun. 

“They sound lovely,” Wylan supplied.

“And along with Leoni, you have her boyfriend, Adrik Zhabin. Nadia’s brother. He’s the opposite of Leoni, moody and dark but just as smart. Oh, and of course, you have Kuwei, a chaotic, wonderful friend. He, unfortunately, won’t be joining us for breakfast, he’s doing stuff at work and claims that white people food upsets his stomach. But I presume he’s just being dramatic.” Wylan chuckled.

“I suppose that’s not a bad thing,” he said, smiling.

“I full-heartedly agree with Kuwei’s sentiment, but; how do you turn down warm waffles?”  
“You can’t!” A voice called through the general early-morning crowd of pedestrians. Nina stepped out from underneath the awning of what Wylan realized was a breakfast house, a cheery-looking yellow bonnet flopping over her hairline. Nina had comically embroidered waffles with whipped cream and berry decorations onto the laces. Wylan snorted. 

“I see you’re wearing that dreaded ‘waffle’ bonnet today,” Jesper said, his eyes scanning the laces like Wylan had been doing moments before. 

“Of course. It’s my breakfast bonnet and I would never indulge myself with waffles if I wasn’t wearing it,” Nina retorted, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Come on now, we’ve all been waiting for you!” She took Wylan’s free hand and led the two boys inside. Wylan inhaled, taking in the scent of fresh breakfast and confectioner’s sugar. The restaurant was decorated with bright yellow and green gingham curtains and tablecloths. Wait staff bustled around with full kettles and plates stacked with fluffy, golden waffles. Nina dragged them over to a small Suli woman at a table in the back, sitting with two other people that Wylan didn’t recognize. Wylan presumed the woman with dark-sepia skin and a sunshine-bright smile was Leoni. She was stunning with her black hair done up in an intricate updo and her purple dress complimented her obsidian eyes perfectly. The man next to her was most likely Adrik Zhabin, his blond hair and green eyes similar to his sister’s. However, unlike his sister, he wore a moody expression as if the world had personally wronged him. His left arm sleeve was pinned up neatly and he donned a nice blue jacket. Wylan noted that they looked good together, holding each other’s hands under the table. 

“Hello, Hello!” The Suli woman and the woman he assumed was Leoni, said together. The Suli woman had warm- bronze skin and long black hair done in a simple bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a simple dark-red dress but held herself with the grace of an acrobat. 

“Hello!” Jesper chimed. Nina sat down in the chair next to the Suli woman and Jesper took the spot next to Nina. Wylan sat down on Jesper’s right and took a quick breath in. Once they settled in, Jesper gestured to the woman next to Nina. 

“Wylan, this is Inej Ghafa. Inej, this is Wylan Van Eck.” Jesper turned to face the woman in the purple dress. “And here are Leoni and Adrik.” Inej smiled and waved, Leoni joining with Inej’s greeting. Adrik mumbled a quick hello, and Leoni rolled her eyes. 

“It’s so nice to see you all,” Wylan said, taking in the bright smiles all around him. 

“The pleasure is all ours. Jesper has been raving about you for quite some time now. All good, of course,” Leoni responded, placing her hands on top of one another. 

“That’s good to hear,” Wylan chuckled, rubbing his fingers over his knuckles. Inej cocked her head and observed Wylan intently, her brown eyes searching for something. Wylan shifted in his seat and pretended not to notice her gaze. 

“What’s for breakfast?” Nina inquired, rubbing her hands together a sly grin on her face. This time, Adrik responded. 

“The usual. A barrel full of waffles, fruit, some bread.” Adrik held up his arm and ticked off the list on his fingers. 

Wylan gasped. “A barrel of waffles?” 

Jesper scoffed. “Of course. We have six hungry people to feed. Two of which adore waffles.” Jesper glanced over to Nina as he said this, the two of them exchanging mischievous expressions. Wylan remained flabbergasted but decided not to ask once more. As they sat and waited for their food to arrive, Inej, Jesper, Leoni, and Nina entertained the group with stories of office shenanigans and the various gossip that spread. Adrik watched in feigned boredom, but his eyes held a fondness that he couldn’t hide.

Jesper laughed heartily as Nina told him about the time she caught Kaz sleeping at his desk, softly snoring on top of a pile of paperwork. She described the expression on his face as he realized that he had fallen asleep and Inej was beside herself with laughter. 

“I can confirm that he does look like that when he wakes up. Absolutely hilarious and I wish I could capture it as an image,” Inej said, giggling and sighing silently. 

“I think you should carry it in a locket to keep the memory wherever you go,” Leoni added thoughtfully, her cheek resting in the palm of her hand. Jesper snorted. 

“Definitely. You’re brilliant Leoni,” Jesper said, wiping tears of laughter away from his eyes, a smile planted on his face. 

Leoni stuck her tongue out playfully. “Of course I am.” Adrik nodded his head in affirmation of Leoni’s statement. She glanced over to him and he gave her a playful smile. 

“I would be lost without her,” Adrik responded, shrugging his shoulders. 

“You flatter me,” Leoni said, clearly reveling in Adrik’s compliments. “No matter how many times you say something sweet I never tire of it.” 

“Every word is true.” Adrik and Leoni shared a smile that made Wylan feel like he was invading something private. He looked away quickly, suddenly finding the cuffs of his jacket the most intriguing thing in the world. 

“Aw, enough of that, lovebirds,” Nina groaned, though there was no malice to her words. Adrik rolled his eyes and held Leoni’s hand. 

“I think they’re cute,” Jesper retorted.  
“You’re just jealous that Matthias isn’t here to shower you with his...” Inej paused, thinking of the right thing to say. “Quite plain, yet somehow loving prose.” 

“Of course not,” Nina scoffed. 

Both Inej and Jesper gave her incredulous expressions, their eyebrows quirked in a way which seemed to say ‘Mhm. Keep lying to yourself.’

Nina finally conceded and huffed a quiet, “You two needn’t be so on the nose about everything, yeah?” Upon hearing Nina’s confession, the group cracked tentative smiles and bright laughter. 

“You can’t hide anything from us, Nina dear,” Inej said affectionately, patting Nina’s arm. They fell into easy conversation as their food arrived. The heavenly smell of warm waffles doused in syrup erupted Wylan’s senses as he let out a contented sigh. Notes of cinnamon, sweet fruit, and hot tea warmed Wylan to his very core. Looking around the table, he found the rest of Jesper’s friends having similar reactions to the food, scarfing it down and talking about the excellence of their breakfast. Wylan noted how they tried to include Wylan into their conversation as much as possible, something that Wylan greatly appreciated as he was terrible at socializing. 

He found it easy to speak with them, their hearty laughter and youthful smiles refreshing compared to the acquaintances he made at his hotel and around the school. 

“So, Wylan,” Inej started rubbing her hands together. “Jesper tells me you’re interested in murder mysteries.” Wylan grinned. 

“Jesper’s correct. I absolutely adore them. Back at home, my mom would read all sorts of stories to me but I always found the murder mysteries the most intriguing. I would always try to solve them in my head and after a while, I got really good at them.” 

Inej grinned back. “We have that in common. I have solved the mystery in almost every penny blood I’ve read since I’ve come to London,” Inej leaned forward, lowering her voice as if she was sharing a secret. “I find that the one the Dime Lions are selling, Murder at Midnight if I recall correctly, is the easiest one to solve. The red herrings are predictable, and the clues aren’t even clues. They’re like if I told you the answer to the quiz before you took the quiz.” 

Wylan leaned forward, Inej’s ethereal brown eyes sparkling. “I have to agree. It’s dreadful how successful they are.” 

They both pulled away, grins plastered on their faces. Jesper chuckled and slung his arm over Wylan’s seat. 

“You know, Inej, we’d love for you to read Wylan’s penny blood. See if you can crack the case,” Jesper said.  
“I’d love to,” Inej responded. 

“Only if I get the job,” Wylan said tentatively. Nina snorted. 

“Don’t be silly now. You’re getting the job.” 

Leoni nodded her head. “I read your story, and it’s very well thought out. And you have one of the most talented writers in London helping you write your story.” Leoni winked at Jesper. 

“You flatter me,” Jesper said, his knee bouncing up and down. 

“I’m serious,” she said, eating a piece of waffle. “You should be getting compensated for your work Jesper. And Wylan too.” 

“Are you two co-writers?” Adrik asked, tilting his head to look at Wylan. Wylan swallowed his bite. 

“I-” Wylan started before Jesper cut him off. 

“Something like that.” Adrik made a low “hmm” sound and went back to diligently cutting his waffle. 

“Like I was saying, I think you both should be getting compensated. I can already tell your bloods are going to make a serious profit for Crows Publishing,” Leoni concluded, popping a strawberry into her mouth. 

Inej hummed thoughtfully. “Kaz will hire you.” Wylan took a sip of his tea and looked over to Jesper. 

“Don’t worry, Wy,” Jesper said, smiling, then turned back to eat another bite of waffle. Wylan poked at his food, already feeling better about getting a position at Crows Publishing, though, he couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of guilt that crept over him. Jesper was helping him write with his own free time, and he should be getting credited and compensated for his work. Jesper added depth and insight to the characters and plot that Wylan hadn’t even considered. Without Jesper, Wylan would be lost. As much as this story was his, it was Jesper’s too. Wylan silently stewed and listened to the group’s easy conversion with rapt attention. 

Inej unceremoniously plopped the last piece of waffle into her mouth as Nina moved to pay for their food. Leoni and Adrik had already stepped outside of the building, waiting for the rest of them to make their way out. Jesper had started a conversation about the difference between pancakes and waffles, and he continued his monologuing as Inej straightened out her dress gracefully. Wylan found himself in awe of her elegance and poise. 

“Are you ready?” Inej asked Wylan, flicking a crumb off of her sleeve. 

Wylan nodded. Jesper glanced between the two of them. 

“Do you want to go back to Crow’s Publishing with us?” he asked, fiddling with his ring. It took a second for Wylan to realize that he was talking to him. 

“I’d love to,” Wylan said after a few seconds of silence. Inej smiled and led them towards the door, pausing to tell Nina something over her shoulder. 

“Nina, we’ll be waiting at the front!” Nina gave her a quick thumbs up. Jesper rubbed his hands together as they stepped outside of the building, Leoni and Adrik immersed in a conversation about their work. Jesper and Inej exchanged eye contact, and Inej floated over to the love birds and joined in on their conversation, leaving Jesper and Wylan alone. 

“I’m sorry about what Leoni and Adrik proposed earlier,” Jesper said suddenly. Wylan whipped his head around to face him. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean—the whole co-writers and compensation thing. You don’t have to, it’s your story after all,” Jesper said, flapping his hands. Wylan’s eyes widened. 

“No! Jesper, it’s our story. Your input, advice, and ideas are so crucial to me, and it feels wrong to just be using you.” Wylan gulped. “You deserve compensation and credit.” Jesper sucked in a breath. 

“And over breakfast when Leoni and Adrik mentioned it, I felt horrible for not suggesting co-writing or compensation in the first place. I think that Adrik has the right idea, and I was thinking, maybe we should be co-writers. I appreciate all your help so much that I can’t even put it into words, and it feels wrong to claim it as my story when it’s clearly the both of ours.” Jesper’s face softened. 

“It was a pretty shitty thing not to think of,” Jesper said after a beat of silence. “But, I could get behind that, Wylan Van Sunshine.” Wylan still felt guilty, but a little bit of the guilt lessened with Jesper’s reply. Wylan looked up into Jesper’s stormy gray eyes. Jesper opened his arms and lifted his eyebrows. Wylan stepped into the circle Jesper’s arms made, wrapping his own around Jesper in a hug. Wylan felt Jesper smile into his hair. Wylan leaned into their embrace, and let out a breath. 

They broke apart as Nina walked out of the doors, cocking an eyebrow at their embrace. Jesper shook his head as if saying I’ll tell you later. Nina shrugged and called out to Inej. 

“Are you guys ready to get going?” Nina walked next to Inej as they started down the street to the publishing office. They walked next to each other, Inej’s hands clasped behind her back as their arms brushed together. Nina engaged in animated conversation, making gestures with her hands. Wylan noted that Jesper made similar gestures when speaking about something he was invested or interested in. Adrik and Leoni walked arm in arm after Nina and Inej, a comfortable silence between the two of them. Wylan was almost taken aback by Adrik’s lack of left arm, but Jesper explained that he had lost it fighting in the war.  
Jesper and Wylan walked back together, conversing about the next part of their penny blood. Their penny blood. Wylan repeated in his head. It filled him with warmth, and it simply felt right. Wylan couldn't believe that he didn’t think of co-writing in the first place. Jesper had suggested a few directions the story could go in, Wylan listening attentively and adding in his thoughts. Before they knew it, the six of them were entering the building to Crows Publishing. 

Wylan reveled in the familiar smell of the freshly printed stories and newspaper, as well as a perfume that he was quickly learning belonged to Genya. Genya was stationed behind the counter, and as soon as she saw the group entering, she greeted them cheerfully. 

“It’s so good to see you all!” Genya chimed, giving each of them small hugs. When she stopped to greet Wylan, she left a kiss on his cheek. Wylan found himself smiling back. What could he say? Genya’s enthusiasm was contagious. Leoni beamed and participated in conversation before she and Adrik went back into one of the various offices. Nina was soon swept away by a woman in a dark blue dress that signified her status in the upper class, the luxurious fabric brushing against the wood floors. She was a tall woman with midnight black hair, a few stray curls falling out of her updo. Her deep brown eyes complemented beautifully with the brass color of her complexion, and her full lips curved into a glamorous smile as she greeted Genya. 

“Good day, Jesper, Inej, Genya,” she said. She turned towards Wylan and waved. “Good day to you too.” 

As soon as the woman swept out of the room with Nina in tow, Genya supplied that she was the revered Zoya Nazyalensky. Wylan, in a suddenly clear shock of clarity, understood why she was so respected in the office. She held herself like a queen and commanded the respect of the people in the room. 

“Oh,” Wylan said, still reeling from his brief meeting with her. 

“Don’t worry,” Jesper said, patting Wylan’s shoulder teasingly. “You’ll get used to it.” 

“Should I alert Kaz that Wylan is here?” Genya asked. Inej shook her head. 

“I’ll do it, don’t worry Genya.” 

“Do not fear for me, dear Inej. I do not fear Kaz Brekker,” Genya said with a teasing tone. 

“And I love you for that,” Inej sighed. 

Wylan looked between the two and interjected, “How about Jesper and I just go up there right now.”  
“Of course,” Inej said, stepping out of the way of the staircase. Wylan and Jesper walked up the stairs, Inej following after. Wylan stepped in front of Kaz’s office, taking in a deep breath. Here goes nothing he thought as he opened the door. 

***  
Wylan was seated in front of Kaz’s desk, hearing the words that he longed to hear ever since Jesper volunteered to take Wylan to the publishing office. 

“You’re hired, Wylan Van Eck. Welcome to Crows Publishing,” Kaz said as Inej bounced on the heels of her feet behind him. Jesper whooped and crushed Wylan into a hug. Wylan felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. He did it. No. They did it. Pulling back, Wylan tried to catch his breath so as not to cry in front of Kaz. Jesper patted him on the back with a grin. Wylan found it easier to breathe after that. 

***

The first few weeks after Wylan was hired was a chaotic mess, to say the least. As soon as he walked out of Kaz’s office, he was hounded in a mess of hugs from the staff that decided to eavesdrop on their conversation. He clearly remembered Genya’s excited expression, Leoni’s warm hug, Nadia’s kisses to his cheeks, Tamar’s fond pat on the back, Inej’s excited dance, Adrik’s normally moody face portraying some semblance of joy, and Nina’s bone crushing embrace. Once the crowd had cleared and the congratulations said and done, Jesper pulled Wylan into the office that he’d be working at. 

“This is your new workspace. Like Kaz said, you’ll be coming in a few times a week to work on penny bloods. Or more days, if you’d like.” Jesper paused and surveyed the place. “Feel free to bring in any personal possessions, but be warned that Nadia has a tendency to steal pens.” 

Wylan chuckled, still elevated at the news. “Duly noted.” Jesper sighed as he heard Inej call his name. 

“Sorry Wy. Kaz wants me up in his office. Maybe I can walk you home?” he asked, a hopeful lilt to his voice. 

“I would love that,” Wylan replied. Jesper winked and stepped out of the office just as Inej walked inside. 

“Oh, hello Inej!” Wylan greeted. 

“I want to show you the printing room,” she said. Wylan was mildly confused but followed her to the room anyways. As they stepped into the room, Wylan was hit with a chorus of the printing presses hard at work. Inej explained how the machines worked, something she said was important for all new recruits to know just in case they were asked to help in the room. Wylan nodded and took in all of the information she gave. He was relatively good with machines.

“Oh my saints, is this the beautiful Wylan?” A voice shouted over the subtle noises of printing presses shuffling paper through their mechanics. Wylan turned from Inej to face whoever called his name. A Shu boy was rushing over to them, haphazardly untying his apron on the way and throwing it in the direction of a poor unsuspecting worker. The boy finally reached Wylan, grinning widely.

“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you! The Crows have told me so much about you! I’m so sorry you have to meet me in such a state,” he groaned, rubbing at a spot of ink on his forearm.

“Wylan, this is Kuwei Yul-Bo. Head of journalism and resident prettyboy.” Inej said, a small smile on her face. Wylan chuckled. 

“Glad to make your acquaintance,” he said, shaking Kuwei’s hand.

“Oh Inej, such a flatterer.” Kuwei smiled again, and Wylan felt so full by his presence. It was as if the sun had shined right into his chest. Wylan noted the beautiful slant of Kuwei’s golden eyes and his effortlessly soft-looking hair, dark strands falling in effortless waves. Kuwei broke off to quickly give instructions to a small boy working one of the presses, and the three of them left the print room, walking towards the entrance hall of Crow’s Publishing. 

“Nina told me Kaz is letting you publish some penny bloods,” Kuwei said, head turned to Wylan as they walked.

“Yes! I honestly can’t believe it. I’m very lucky to have Jesper co-writing with me.”

“He’s quite the writer.” They entered the main hall, and Wylan took a deep breath, smiling contentedly.

“Did you know he writes some of the most popular penny bloods in London? You have probably heard of them but they are war novels between two rivaling fantasy lands,” Kuwei added suddenly,  
running his fingers through his hair. 

Wylan blinked in surprise. “You mean Jesper wrote those?” 

Kuwei nodded. “Yeah, he is brilliant.” 

“You’re telling me Jesper Fahey is Kit Young?” Wylan said, surprised laced in his voice. He had begun to connect the similarities between Kit Young’s writing to Jesper’s. 

Kuwei nodded once more and gave Wylan a sly smile. The three of them took a seat on a plush green couch pushed against a wall opposite the main desks, and Kuwei regaled them with stories of interviews, hands flying expressively as he talked. After a while, Nina joined them, flopping next to Inej dramatically.

“Kuwei, I know my gossip license has been temporarily revoked, but I have some lovely rumours I just have to share,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. Kuwei chuckled.

“Oh dear Nina, what must you share?” He asked, matching Nina’s feigned dramaticism.

“Well, it’s not so much gossip as news from Kaz, but there’s been word that Pekka’s hosting a ball.” 

“Who’s Pekka?” Wylan asked.

“Pekka Rollins is a popular publisher in Southern London, he owns the Dime Lions,” Inej explained, “Honestly, his stories aren’t much to have a ball about, but his ego’s almost as big as Kaz’s.” Kuwei ran a hand over his chin, eyes cast downward in deep thought.

“So, what does The Man propose we do?” He pondered.

“Get your dress robes and notepads ready, friends, because we’re going to a ball!” Nina giggled.

Wylan’s eyes widened in surprise. “A ball?” 

“Of course you’re invited,” Nina said, glancing at Wylan before turning towards Inej and Kuwei. 

“You’re all invited.” Wylan thought he saw Nina’s gaze linger a little bit too long on Inej but Wylan dismissed the thought. Inej was involved with Kaz and Nina with Matthias, whoever this Matthias was. Wylan silently decided that Matthias probably smelled like damp wool, only because of his lack of involvement in the Crows and the general impression he got whenever he was brought up. Genya, Leoni, Inej, Jesper, and Adrik seemed to dismiss his existence, and Tamar and Nadia straight-up ignored any conversation with his name mentioned in it. 

“Will you be attending, Inej?” Kuwei asked. Inej sighed. 

“I don’t think I have any choice. Kaz probably has an elaborate infiltration plan which involves my skills as the Wraith.” 

“Well, at least let us dress you up,” Nina said, Kuwei nodding from his spot on the couch. 

“Of course,” Inej replied simply. Kuwei lounged in his seat, closing his eyes for a brief moment. 

“Kaz always has a plan,” the Shu man said. After that declaration, the rest of the group went  
quiet. Wylan fiddled with his cuffs as Inej laid her head on Nina’s shoulder. 

“In this case, I’m pretty sure that Kaz is trying to get dirt on Pekka.” Upon seeing Wylan’s confused expression, Inej added, “Pekka is Kaz’s longtime rival and Kaz is determined to take him down. Any bit of dirt we can get will help in the game Kaz is playing.” 

Wylan 'ah'ed in understanding and resumed fiddling with his cuffs.  
“That sounds pretty intense,” he supplied. 

Kuwei snorted. Wylan had almost thought he fell asleep. “Kaz Brekker described in three words would be; one, angsty, two, driven, and three, intense.” 

“Sounds about right,” Inej said, a small smile on her face. Wylan wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but was Nina jealous? The three of them lounged on the couch a little while longer, sharing stories and thoughts about Kaz Brekker and Pekka Rollins. They were quickly told off by Zoya, her brown eyes and posture holding all the authority. She assigned them to work, Nina to reorganize the penny bloods that were messed up by a group of young children, Kuwei back into the printing press room, and Wylan to help Kuwei. Kuwei grinned as they were paired together and guided Wylan through the process of printing newspapers. The day flew by quickly, Wylan and Kuwei getting along splendidly and Nina occasionally popping in to say ‘hi’ before Zoya told her to get back to work. 

“You’re telling me that you’re a scientific genius, and yet you’ve decided to have a career in writing?” Kuwei asked, cranking the lever on the printing press. 

“Says you,” Wylan snorted. 

“Fair. I am a man of many talents,” Kuwei said, mock flipping his hair. It had turned out that both he and Kuwei were exceptional at science, specifically chemistry, but they both chose to become writers. Wylan was shocked by how much they had in common. As Wylan was cleaning off the ink on his hands, Jesper popped into the room. 

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, playing with a coil of his hair. Wylan looked up and smiled. 

“Just about! I need to finish cleaning.” Jesper gave him a grin and a thumbs up.

After Wylan was cleaned up and he said goodbye to his coworkers and friends, he and Jesper were off to his hotel. Jesper walked him back and talked to Wylan a bit about what Kaz had needed him for. It turned out that Kaz was planning on how to infiltrate the ball with Jesper. 

When Jesper finished explaining the ball silence hung between them as they walked back to Wylan’s hotel. Wylan’s brain whirred in a desperate attempt to think of something to say. 

“I didn’t know you were Kit Young,” Wylan said, glancing over at Jesper. Jesper’s eyebrows shot up rapidly.  
“You caught me. How did you find out?” he asked. Wylan laughed. 

“Kuwei told me. I’m shocked that I didn’t know, but I’m really proud of you.” 

Jesper laughed and rolled his eyes. “Of course Kuwei told you. And I keep my identity under the wraps, you know? I like the anonymity and it helps with sales.” 

Wylan fell silent after that, unsure of what to say. “What name will you use to sign our penny blood?” 

Jesper didn’t hesitate before answering. “Kit Young. It would be hard to engage readers with two new authors.” 

Wylan nodded. “That makes sense. I’m sorry you have to change your name on your penny bloods, though.” 

Jesper shrugged. “It’s not desirable but it’s what works.” 

With that, silence fell between them. They continued walking down the street, Jesper occasionally stopping to let Wylan catch up. Wylan laughed as he fell behind once more and quickened his pace to catch up with Jesper. Jesper smiled when he saw the wide grin Wylan was sporting. 

Stopping in front of the run-down hotel Wylan was staying at, Jesper pulled him aside. 

“We did it,” he said, affection present in his low voice. 

“We did it,” Wylan affirmed hugging his arms close to his body. Jesper drew back and took one Wylan’s hands gently in his own. Jesper’s palms were warm and calloused and Wylan wished to hold them for eternity. Jesper brushed his lips against the back of Wylan’s shaking hand, smiling slightly and he squeezed his hand as soon as his lips pulled away. Wylan stood in shock as heat flooded his face. Jesper walked back towards the road. 

“Congratulations. I can’t tell you how overjoyed I am to be working with you,” Jesper said softly.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed that! I will be updating chapters weekly and kudos and comments are always appreciated!


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